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Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies

65 Bird Species

American Woodcock

This uniquely shaped shorebird is plump, round-winged. long-billed, and appears to lack both a neck and a tail. The long bill is pinkish, with a black tip. The eyes are set far back on the head to allow the bird to see behind it as well as in front. The upperparts are finely mottled black, brown, buf more...

Length: 25 cm Wingspan: 46 cm

Baird's Sandpiper

In all plumages, this species is distinguished from the other small sandpipers by its short black legs, all-black bill which is straight or only slightly decurved, and wing tips that extend well beyond the tail. Alternate Adult: Back and scapular feathers black and brown with silvery fringes. Head an more...

Length: 14 cm Wingspan: 38 cm

Bar-tailed Godwit

This species gets its name from the black and white barring on the tail. In flight, the upper surface of the wing is gray-brown, slightly darker on the primary coverts, and lacks a wing stripe. The Siberian race shows black and white barring on the rump and lower back, and on the underside of the win more...

Length: 37 cm Wingspan: 69 cm

Black Turnstone

This stocky shorebird of rocky West Coast shorelines is recognized by its bold black and white pattern. The black bill is fairly short and chisel-shaped. The legs are dull brown to dark orange. Alternate Adult: Upperparts are glossy black, with fine white streaks on the crown, a white spot near the b more...

Length: 22 cm Wingspan: 43 cm

Black-tailed Godwit

This rare visitor from Eurasia is similar to Hudsonian Godwit. Black-tailed has a bolder white stripe on the upper surface of the wing, extending from the primaries clear through the secondaries (stripe does not extend through secondaries on Hudsonian). The underside of the Black-tailed's wing is whi more...

Length: 36 cm Wingspan: 74 cm

Bristle-thighed Curlew

This species gets its name from the odd bristles at the base of the legs. It matches Whimbrel in size, shape, and head pattern, but Bristle-thighed shows much more buff, compared to the cold gray-brown of Whimbrel. In all plumages, the buff tail with black barring and plain buffy rump are distinctive more...

Length: 41 cm Wingspan: 81 cm

Broad-billed Sandpiper

This little sandpiper, a rare visitor from Eurasia, is distinguished by its long heavy bill, which has a downward kink near the tip, and by its striped plumage. Alternate Adult: Blackish upperparts with broad buff and rufous feather edges that create pale stripes down the back. Two white stripes abov more...

Length: 17 cm Wingspan: 38 cm

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

In posture, shape, and habits this long-distance migrant is somewhat suggestive of a golden-plover. It stands upright, has long wings and proportionally long legs and a short, straight, thin bill. The plain buffy face, and beady black eye give this species a pigeon-headed look. In all plumages, the b more...

Length: 19 cm Wingspan: 41 cm

Common Greenshank

This rare visitor from Eurasia is very similar to Greater Yellowlegs. The bill is gray with a dark tip, slightly upturned, and comprises over half of the total length of the head. The legs are dull green to yellow-green. In flight, the tail shows much white, and a white wedge extends from the rump up more...

Length: 31 cm Wingspan: 58 cm

Common Redshank

Mid-sized Eurasian shorebird that resembles Greater Yellowlegs; adults have distinctive, red legs. Whitish eyering with dark lores. Long, straight bill. Alternate Adult: Barred grayish-brown upperparts with coarsely streaked underparts. Dark bill with reddish base. Basic Adult: Plain gray with thin w more...

Length: 25 cm Wingspan: 56 cm

Common Sandpiper

This Eurasian species strongly resembles Spotted Sandpiper in appearance and behavior. Alternate Adult: Dark brown above, with fine black streaks. The tertails are barred with black. The sides of the upper breast match the color of the upperparts and are also finely streaked with black. The remainder more...

Length: 18 cm Wingspan: 38 cm

Common Snipe

This Eurasian species is nearly identical to Wilson's Snipe, and until recently was considered the same species. The two differ only in the pattern on the underside of the wing and by the number of tail feathers. Common Snipe shows extensive white on the underwing coverts and axillaries. These areas more...

Length: 27 cm Wingspan: 39 cm

Curlew Sandpiper

In non-breeding plumages, this Eurasian species resembles a Dunlin, but note the longer black legs, longer wings that extend beyond the tail, thinner, more evenly decurved bill, and white rump. Alternate Male: Bright chestnut face and underparts are distinctive. Upperparts are mottled rufous, black, more...

Length: 19 cm Wingspan: 37 cm

Dunlin

A mid-sized shorebird with relatively long, decurved bill. Alternate adult has rusty reddish brown back, mostly white underparts with a large black belly patch. Foreneck and breast marked with fine dusky streaks, flanks, vent and undertail unmarked white. Head shows medium reddish-brown crown with fi more...

Length: 22 cm Wingspan: 43 cm

Eskimo Curlew

This species, formerly among the most abundant North American shorebirds, is now likely extinct. Sightings are occasionally reported, but the last confirmed occurrence was a bird shot in 1963. Eskimo Curlews strongly resemble Little Curlews and juvenile Whimbrels. Upperparts are dark brown with buffy more...

Length: 32 cm Wingspan: cm

Eurasian Curlew

Large shorebird with long, decurved dark bill with limited pale base. Heavily streaked upperparts with lighter streaking on head, breast and sides. Whitish to buffy belly. Whitish underwings and very pale tail with thin barring. White patch on rump and lower back. Juvenile much browner overall with m more...

Length: 54 cm Wingspan: 97 cm

Non-vegetated Areas

1 species

Solitary Snipe

Gallinago solitaria

Alpine Slopes, Ponds and Rivers, Streams and Brooks