Broad-billed Sandpiper in Cadiz, Spain

On August 6, 2018, a Broad-billed Sandpiper was found in Salina Carboneros, Cadiz. The observer was Fernando Gross, a young birder of only 14 years old, who first found the bird resting within a small flock of dunlins and curlew sandpipers. To our knowledge this is the first record of a Broad-billed Sandpiper in Cadiz!

Broad-billed Sandpiper in Cadiz, Andalucia. This is the first record for the province!
Adult Broad-billed Sandpiper in Cadiz, Andalucia. This is the first record for the province!

Broad-billed Sandpiper status in the world

This wader breeds in the west taiga of Arctic Europe and Siberia, and overwinters from easternmost Africa through south Asia to Australasia. According to the IUCN, the Broad-billed Sadpiper is listed as Least Concern. However, its population is declining.

The main threats are habitat loss and environmental pollution. This is specially the case in China and South Korea, where you can find some important migrational staging areas of this species.

Broad-billed Sandpiper status in Spain

With some 50 previous records in Spain, the Broad-billed Sandpiper is considered a rare species by the  Spanish Committee of Rare birds (SEO/Birdlife). Most of the records happen to be on the eastern coast of Spain. Only a few sightings occur on the interior and western provinces. This makes this record all the more exciting for local and visiting birders. What a good start for the rarities season!

Below you can see a short video of the bird while feeding. We recorded these clips on August 7, 2018:

Do you want to go birding in the Bay of Cadiz? This is an excellent area for shorebirds and waterbirds. Contact us if you want to arrange a trip.


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