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| Shorebirds are a diverse group, comprised of Snipes, Oystercatchers, Stilts and Avocets, Plovers, Dotterels and Lapwings, Sandpipers, Godwits and Curlews. Shorebirds are usually found in coastal wetlands, but they are also found in farmland and upland habitats which are drier. Many shorebirds migrate long distances between wintering and breeding habitats. | ||
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Red Knot Calidris canutus
Size: Body length = 27 cm (10.5") Description: Breeding adults have dark brown upperparts with lighter feather edgings; face and underparts are pinkish. Fall birds are gray above and white below with a dark rump and a faint wing stripe. Bill is straight and slightly tapered. Voice: Most often silent during migration; occasionally a soft "quer-wer" or "knut". Distribution: During migration Red Knots are found on tidal flats, rocky shores and beaches. Breeds on tundra of islands in high Arctic latitudes. Winters along coasts from California and Massachusetts southwards toward southern tip of South America. Also found in Eurasia. Birds that migrate to South America make a round trip of almost 32,000 km (20,000 miles) each year. Nesting: Nest is built in a slight depression, often one lined with lichens and surrounded by rocks. Typical clutch is 4 eggs which are olive and spotted with brown. Text contributed by:Heather Wiggins, Allan Baker View current migration map | ||
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Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Size: Body length = 20-25 cm (8-10") Description: Distinct orange legs, fairly stocky body. Upperparts are mostly red in breeding season, brown in the winter months. Face and breast are marked in black, duller in winter. White and black pattern obvious on wings during flight. Voice: A staccato "tuk-tuk-tuk-tuk" or "kek-kek-kek" while feeding. Distribution: Breeds on coastal tundra in northwestern Alaska and on islands of Canadian Arctic. Winters on coasts from Connecticut and Oregon southward along the Gulf. Also found in Eurasia. Nesting: Nest consists of a hollow lined with bits of grass and dead leaves, often under a low bush. Eggs are olive colored and spotted with brown. Text contributed by:Heather Wiggins, Allan Baker View current migration map | ||
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Sanderling Calidris alba
Size: Body length= 20 cm. (8") Description: Chunky body, short straight black bill, black legs and prominent white wing stripe. Breeding adults have rusty head and neck . Winter birds have gray head and look almost white. Voice:A sharp "kip" or "pip". Make lots of noise while feeding. Distribution:One of the most widespread of all shorebirds. Breeds on tundra from Baffin Island eastward to Alaska. Winters are spent on ocean beaches, sandbars, mudflats and lake and river shores from Massachusetts and British Columbia southward to southern South America. Also found in Eurasia. Nesting: Four olive eggs, often with brown markings, are found in lichen-lined hollow on the ground. Text contributed by:Heather Wiggins, Allan Baker View current migration map | ||
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Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla
Size: Body length = 14-17 cm. (5.5-6.75") Description: Speckled brown plumage. Black legs with partially webbed feet; "semipalmated" means "half-webbed", referring to the small webs between the front toes which help support the bird on soft mud and sand. Short black bill with slightly drooping tip. Voice:A brief yet sharp, husky "chert". Distribution: Breeds on Northern Alaskan and Canadian tundra south to Hudson Bay. Rarely migrates through Western states, staying mostly in Central and Eastern parts of North America. Winters on coastal beaches, pools, mudflats and marshes of South America. Nesting: Four eggs marked with brown found in depression in the ground. Text contributed by: Heather Wiggins, Allan Baker View current migration map | ||
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Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus
Size:Body length = 31 cm. (12") Description: White lower back and rump, black and white checkered tail. Belly is often whitish. Breast and sides are marked with reddish spots. Dark beak and green legs. Voice:A soft "tu-tu-tu". Distribution: Breeds on the moist tundra of southern Alaska, central Canada and northern Quebec. Winters along coast from Virginia and California southward; prefers mudflats, creeks, salt marshes and estuaries. One of the first species to migrate south, leaving as early as July and the young following in August. Nesting: Four greenish eggs spotted with brown can be found in a nest lined with grass and moss in a depression in the ground. Text contributed by: Heather Wiggins, Allan Baker View current migration map | ||
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Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla
Size: Body length = 15 cm. (6") Description:Smallest American shorebird. Yellow-green legs. Short, thin bill. Brown back with streaked breast. Voice: A soft, muted chuckle when feeding . Sharp "treep" at other times Distribution:Breeds from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia west to Alaska. Winters along coasts of North Carolina west to northern California; sometimes also seen in Southeast and Southwest. Prefers grassy pools, bogs, and flooded mudflats in all seasons. Nesting: Four pinkish eggs spotted with brown are found in a nest lined with moss and grass in a dry depression on boggy tundra. Text contributed by: Heather Wiggins, Allan Baker View current migration map | ||
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Willet Cataptrophorus semiplamatas
Size: Body length = 38 cm. (15") Description: Large and gray-brown with a long straight bill. Distinct black and white wing pattern. Conspicuous and noisy. Voice:Loud and ringing "pill-will-willet"; sometimes a softer "kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk". Distribution:Breeds along Atlantic and Gulf Coasts as well as from central Canada to northeastern California and Nevada. Winters on the coasts of the Carolinas and Oregon southward. Prefers coastal beaches, marshes, lake shores and wet grassy areas. Nesting:Four olive eggs spotted with brown can be found in a weed and shell-lined nest on open ground or in a clump of grass. Text contributed by: Heather Wiggins, Allan Baker View current migration map | ||
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Dunlin Calidris alpina
Size:Body length = 22 cm. (8.5") Description:Beak is fairly long with a distinct droop at the tip; Breeding adults have a reddish back, white/gray underparts with a black patch in the center of the belly. Winter birds are dull gray. Tame and easily approached. Voice:Soft slurred "creeeep" or reedy "chit-lit". Distribution: Winters on beaches, mudflats and inland lake and river shores from Massachusetts and southern Alaska southward. Breeds and nests from Hudson Bay to western and northern Alaska. Also found in Eurasia. Dunlin are very hardy, sometimes spending the winter in fairly high latitudes feeding on marine worms, mollusks and crustaceans. Nesting:Nests most often built in a slight depression on boggy tundra. Four eggs are white with some brown marks. Text contributed by: Heather Wiggins, Allan Baker View current migration map | ||
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Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia
Size: Body length = 19 cm. (7.5") Description: Bobs its tail constantly. Breeding adults are brown with a distinct white wing stripe; bellies are white with bold black markings on breast. Fall birds have brown smudges on breast and lack black markings. Voice: A soft trill or a distint "peet-weet". Distribution:Breeds from northern Alaska and Canada south to the southeastern United States. Winters along the Pacific Coast south of British Columbia, across the southern states, and south to South America. Prefers ponds and streams both along the shore and in inland areas. Nesting:One of the few shorebirds that nests in the United States. Four eggs spotted with brown can be found in a nest lined with moss or grass in a small depression in the ground. Text contributed by: Heather Wiggins, Allan Baker View current migration map | ||
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