General

Pectoral Sandpiper: Medium-sized sandpiper with scaled, dark brown upperparts, heavily streaked brown breast, and plain white belly. Crown and eyestripe are dark brown. Faint wing-bar and black rump with white edges are visible in flight. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has pale buff, heavily streaked breast.

Range and Habitat

Pectoral Sandpiper: Breeds on arctic tundra from Alaska to Hudson Bay; also found in Siberia. Spends winters in South America. Preferred habitats include marshes and grassy pools.

Breeding and Nesting

Pectoral Sandpiper: Four white to olive buff eggs blotched with dark brown are laid in a cup of grass and leaves hidden on the ground. Female incubates the eggs for 21 to 23 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Pectoral Sandpiper: Feeds mainly on insects, also eats small crustaceans, seeds, and spiders.

Vocalization

Pectoral Sandpiper: Call is a rich, low "churrrt", "krrrek", or "tik-tik-tik." The male uses an inflatable air sac to vocalize during courtship displays.

Similar Species

Pectoral Sandpiper: Sharp-tailed Sandpiper has paler breast and rufous-brown crown. Other sandpipers lack the strongly striped brown breast.