About this species
The Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) is a small migratory shorebird that breeds in the high Arctic tundra of northern Siberia. Within the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), it migrates through Central Asia to winter across the Indian subcontinent, with many populations continuing to Africa, while eastern populations migrate along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. The species breeds in wet tundra with bogs and shallow pools, and during migration and winter inhabits intertidal mudflats, estuaries, coastal lagoons, saltpans, and rice fields. It feeds primarily on small aquatic invertebrates, occasionally supplementing its diet with seeds, and often forms large mixed-species flocks outside the breeding season. Globally classified as Vulnerable, the species is threatened by the loss and degradation of coastal wetlands and intertidal habitats, particularly at key migratory staging sites, as well as habitat deterioration and human disturbance across its wintering range.
