Migration: No confirmed spring records. mid Aug-early Oct with a late Aug/early Sep peak and to late Oct. Pectorals prefer open freshwater marshes and wet meadows, scarce habitats in our area. The brackish pools in Bass Harbor Marsh and the MDI High School Ponds have the most records.
Miscellany: Although most Pectoral Sandpipers migrate through the central US - the birds we see are mostly if not entirely young - on their way to and from wintering grounds in southern South America. The species' breeding range encompasses not only North America's high Arctic tundra but extends almost 2500 miles west into Siberia.
Last Reviewed: July 12th, 2026