Kiritimati Sandpiper

Prosobonia cancellata

The Christmas sandpiper or Kiritimati sandpiper is an extinct species of small shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It became extinct some time in the first half of the 19th century. It was endemic to Christmas Island, since 1919 a part of Kiribati. It is known solely from a single contemporaneous illustration, and a description by William Anderson, both made during the third circumnavigation voyage commanded by Captain James Cook, which visited the atoll of Christmas Island between 24 December 1777 and 2 January 1778.

Select tracking region

Where are you looking?

Select a tracking region above to ping the eBird database and reveal live hotspots for the Kiritimati Sandpiper.

Loading sightings...

💬 Discussion

Loading comments...

Enter your name and email to join the discussion

Low-Light Telephoto Systems

Identifying specific features of the Kiritimati Sandpiper requires high-contrast magnification. Check out the top-rated 8x42 optics.

View Pro Optics

📘 ID Reference Card

Shorebird ID Pocket Reference

Compact pocket-card format — print & fold. Covers plumage, field marks, and song mnemonics.

$4.99View Card

Expedition Prep

Targeting the Kiritimati Sandpiper?

Build a custom travel itinerary around these hotpot clusters using our trip planning suite.

Open Planner