Pectoral sandpiper

The pectoral sandpiper is a medium-sized shorebird with a streaked brown chest that ends in a sharp line against its white belly, a short bill, and yellowish legs. This photo caught a whole flock coming and going at once, with wings spread over a blue shoreline.

In Manitoba it is mostly a migrant. It nests on the Arctic tundra, reaching only the far north of the province near Hudson Bay, and passes through in spring and again in late summer and fall on its way to southern South America, one of the longest migrations of any shorebird. Look for it on muddy shorelines and wet, grassy edges, often in flocks.

I call this photo When the Shoreline Welcomes Wings, because a flock of pectoral sandpipers dropping onto a muddy shore is one of the best sights of fall migration.

To find out more about the pectoral sandpiper and the places it lives, visit All About Birds.

Pectoral sandpiper Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the pectoral sandpiper in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.