Sandpipers - Bird Watching Academy

Semipalmated Sandpiper

The Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) is a small, mousy-colored Sandpiper that prominently habituates arctic and sub-arctic regions near water bodies. As the name, Semipalmated suggests, their feet are partly webbed. This species of Sandpiper is particularly difficult to identify owing to its physical similarities with other Sandpipers and small birds.

Ruddy Turnstone

The Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is a small wading bird, one of two species of Turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the Sandpiper family. The Ruddy Turnstone is a highly migratory bird, breeding in northern parts of Eurasia and North America and flying south to winter on coastlines almost worldwide. It is the only species of Turnstone in much of its range and is often known simply as Turnstone.

Sanderling

The Sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English sand-yrðling, “sand-plowman”. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-colored waterside birds. The specific alba is Latin for “white”. So scientifically, their name is a dead giveaway description of them.

Wilson’s Snipe

About Wilson’s Snipe

The idea of snipe hunts used as pranks in summer camps might have confused a lot of kids, but Wilson’s Snipes are actually the only creatures of imagination made up to play practical jokes on your peers. They are real, plump-bodied shorebirds with a wide range in North America. Their buff-brown color pattern doesn’t exactly make it easy to see them. Along with their secretive nature, the only time you can spot them is when they are too busy trying to attract a mate to care about you.

Long-billed Dowitcher

The Long-billed Dowitcher is a Sandpiper that is not very aptly named. Although female Long-billed Dowitchers indeed have very long bills, the bills of the males are not much larger than the bills of Short-billed Dowitchers. The bills of these birds are at least twice the length of their head.

White-rumped Sandpiper

The White-rumped Sandpiper is a shorebird that holds a record for making some of the longest non-stop migrations in North America. They look rather unassuming, with their tawny and light brown spots along with a vividly white rump. However, their lifestyles have shown that they are some of the most durable birds found in North America. Their breeding grounds are located in some of the coldest regions on the planet, the Arctic tundra, with their wintering grounds taking them all the way to the southern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. They travel over 2000 miles without a break and can cover a longitudinal distance that resembles the length of the Atlantic Ocean.

Western Sandpiper

Lovingly also known as “peeps”, the Western Sandpiper is among the most colorful and beautiful of all the Sandpipers found in North America. They are a spectacle to be marveled at, gathering in enormous flocks of hundreds of thousands during their spring migrations. The sight of these golden and rufous hued shorebirds is so breath-taking that they attract millions of visitors in Alaska and California who hope to witness one of nature’s greatest performances for themselves.

Wandering Tattler

Found in nearly every region by the Pacific coastline, the Wandering Tattler is an inconspicuous shorebird that has a wide distribution from North America to Australia. They are named after their distinctive calls, a loud “tattling” sound that can travel large distances. True to their name, they are migratory birds that may not always return to their breeding grounds after the end of the winter. Instead, they choose to continue wandering and find new areas towards the south of their range instead.

Upland Sandpiper

The Upland Sandpiper is among the oddest shorebirds. Unlike other shorebirds, these birds choose to spend all their time on land and rarely ever go to coastal or wetland habitats. They are most abundantly found in grasslands, with healthy numbers indicating that their surrounding habitats are also healthy. They are also known for their beautiful, high-pitched whistles that seem to travel through distances and blend in with the surrounding scenery.

Stilt Sandpiper

A bird that is predominantly of the low arctic and the subarctic regions of North America, the Stilt Sandpiper is impressive in the long migrations they undertake to reach their wintering grounds in central South America. They are graceful shorebirds that have a remarkable breeding plumage, along with their long legs and bills that curve ever so slightly. Their bright yellow legs especially catch the attention of observers, whether they are walking or simply standing in place.

Spotted Sandpiper

The Spotted Sandpiper is the most widespread Sandpiper that breeds in North America, ranging from the east to the west, from the north to the south of the continent. They are highly adaptive to their surrounding environments and occupy nearly all sorts of habitats that are near water. From coastal areas to the banks of rivers, these birds are almost everywhere so long as there is a waterbody around them.

Solitary Sandpiper

The Solitary Sandpiper breeds throughout the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska. They are long-distance migrants that like to breed in the warmer tropic of Mexico, Central America, and South America. However, perhaps curious for most shorebirds, they are true to their name and are almost always alone.

Rock Sandpiper

Impossibly elusive and immensely secretive, the Rock Sandpiper is found in some of the most remote areas in the world. Not only do they inhabit some of the most remote coasts in the world, but they also perfectly blend in with their surroundings due to their gray plumages. They are also known to winter further north than any other North American shorebird, choosing to go towards the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands near Alaska.

Red Knot

The Red Knot is a plump, neatly proportioned Sandpiper that sport brilliant terracotta-orange underparts and intricate gold, buff, rufous, and black upperparts during the breeding seasons. This widespread species also occur on all continents except Antarctica and is known to migrate exceptionally long distances, from High Arctic nesting areas to wintering spots in southern South America, Africa, and Australia. Red Knots from eastern North America have declined sharply in recent decades owing in part to the unsustainable harvest of horseshoe crab eggs, and they have become a flagship species for shorebird conservation in the twenty-first century.

Pectoral Sandpiper

The Pectoral Sandpiper is a small breed of birds, usually found around North America and Asia. These tiny birds are very fond of traveling and are very long-distance migratory birds. According to some studies, their long voyages are linked with the rise in climate change. Nevertheless, these petite birds continue to make it to great distances. Though still seen quite often, some reports suggest that the enormous population is not what it once was. This bird can be found in a vast number of locations, including the continents of Asia, Australia, North America, much of South America, and the Caribbean, and has vagrant populations in the Middle East, Africa, and Antarctica. Its preferred habitat includes grasslands, wetlands, marine, and coastal locations.

Purple Sandpiper

The Purple Sandpiper is an incredible, fascinating creature. Contrary to their name, they rarely display a purple color palette. The name comes from the slight, almost imperceptible sheen on their wings that is purple or violet in color.

Marbled Godwit

The Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) is a large shorebird. On average, it tends to grow to be the largest of the 4 species of Godwit. These birds are rather goofy looking, having the cuteness of a Warbler, but the awkwardness of a Stork. They have distinct bills, much like most shorebirds. Their bills are “sword-like”, they are great for plunging deep into sand and mud to pull out aquatic invertebrates and plant tubers.

Bristle-thighed Curlew

The Bristle-thighed Curlew is a medium-sized bird that have been marked near threatened by the IUCN. Although Bristle-thighed Curlews were discovered as early as 1869, their breeding habitat was not discovered till after the end of the 19th century. This bird species was first located in Alaska, and for the longest time ornithologists believed that this species was perhaps a vagrant. Perhaps this was because this species is not particularly easy to locate.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

The Buff-breasted Sandpiper is a small shorebird that isn’t conventional like waders. Unlike most other waders, they prefer dry upland areas. The habitats they choose during winter and migration are also a subject of interest. Their use of agricultural lands is particularly interesting because it indicates that these birds are comfortable living around humans. Although this adaptation might be good for their numbers in the long run, it also exposes them to several harmful chemicals which are present on agricultural sites. These chemicals are sure to present several health risks.

Black Turnstone

The Black Turnstone is a bird that predominantly lives in the rocky portions of the Pacific Coast. These are North American shorebirds have a zebra-like plumage which allows them to camouflage while roosting or foraging. Their plumage blends in so well with the rocky substrates in its habitat that these birds almost seem invisible. They are also quite difficult to sight when they are flying through the waves in the ocean.