The western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) is the smallest sandpiper on the west coast of the US. It nests mostly in Alaska and migrates mostly along the Pacific Coast. Many reach the Atlantic Coast in the autumn and remain through the winter. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific mauri commemorates Italian botanist Ernesto Mauri (1791–1836). It can also be found on the Pacific, Caribbean and Atlantic Coasts in South and Central America and in Siberia.
