Dunlin vs Sharp-tailed sandpiper
The sharp-tailed sandpiper is heavier: 66.1 g against 51.9 g for the dunlin, about 27% more.
Photo: Jevgenijs Slihto from Riga, Latvia · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a dunlin and a sharp-tailed sandpiper?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The sharp-tailed sandpiper is heavier: 66.1 g against 51.9 g for the dunlin, about 27% more.
- Both belong to the genus Calidris, so they are close relatives.
- The dunlin is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List; the sharp-tailed sandpiper is Vulnerable.
Side by side
| Dunlin | Sharp-tailed sandpiper | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Calidris alpina | Calidris acuminata |
| Family | Scolopacidae | Scolopacidae |
| Order | Charadriiformes | Charadriiformes |
| Weight | 51.9 g – 57.1 g | 63.5 g – 71.7 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 19.8 years | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | wetland | wetland |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened | Vulnerable |
| Countries recorded | Not recorded | 1 |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.
Full record: DunlinFull record: Sharp-tailed sandpiperCompare other animals