The rock sandpiper is a small shorebird in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae. This is a hardy sandpiper that breeds in the arctic and subarctic regions of Alaska and the Chukotka and Kamchatka Peninsulas. It is closely related to the purple sandpiper that breeds in arctic regions of northeast Canada and the northwest Palearctic, and in the past was often considered conspecific with it.
Region
Bering Sea and North Pacific coasts
Typical Environment
Breeds on arctic and subarctic tundra of western and northern Alaska, Chukotka, and the Kamchatka Peninsula. In winter it concentrates along rocky, wave-washed shorelines of the Aleutians and Gulf of Alaska, extending south through British Columbia to the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and northern California. It strongly favors rockweed- and kelp-covered intertidal zones, tidepools, and boulder beaches, rarely using broad sandy beaches. Some island populations remain near breeding areas year-round.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 500 m
Climate Zone
Polar
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This hardy shorebird winters farther north than almost any other North American sandpiper, often remaining in the storm-battered Aleutians. Its name refers to its densely feathered tibiae, an adaptation that helps conserve heat in icy, spray-soaked habitats. It closely resembles the Purple Sandpiper, but favors the North Pacific rim and rocky intertidal shores covered in algae and kelp.
Rock Sandpiper on the Humboldt Bay North Jetty, near Eureka, California
Newly hatched chick
On St. Paul Island, Alaska
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
strong flier with low, fast, direct flights over surf
Social Behavior
Often forages in small, tight flocks on exposed rocks and wrack lines, especially in winter. On the tundra, pairs form in spring; nests are ground scrapes lined with leaves and lichens. Both adults share incubation and chick care.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Breeding males give a rapid, musical twittering and trilling display song during aerial flights over the territory. Calls include sharp chips and soft, rolling notes used to maintain contact in surf noise.
Plumage
Stocky sandpiper with mottled gray to brown upperparts in nonbreeding plumage and richer rufous-edged scapulars in breeding season; underparts whitish with dark mottling that can form a dusky belly patch. Feathers are dense, especially on the legs, giving a slightly shaggy look in cold weather.
Diet
Feeds primarily on marine invertebrates such as polychaete worms, amphipods, isopods, small mollusks, and insect larvae. It also picks small crustaceans and snails from rockweed and kelp fronds and occasionally takes seeds or algae. Foraging is a mix of pecking, probing, and gleaning from slippery rock surfaces.
Preferred Environment
Rocky intertidal zones with abundant seaweed, barnacles, and mussel beds, including tidepools and boulder fields. On the breeding grounds, it forages in wet tundra, coastal meadows, and along stream margins.
