A small shorebird of Eastern North America. In all plumages, note relatively straight and blunt-tipped bill and black or dark olive legs. Alternate Adult looks mostly brown above, with reddish-brown ear patch, dark crown with some reddish-brown, pale supercilium, white throat, finely streaked breast and back, white underparts, and brownish wings. Scapulars show rounded dark centers edged with rufous on upper feathers and white edges on lower feathers. Basic Adult is light gray above; underparts are white with some fine gray-brown streaking on the sides of the upper breast and light supercilium. Juvenile, in fall, is finely scalloped on the back with buffy to white edges on coverts, lacking rufous, and has brownish wash over streaked breast. Generally darker on the crown and auriculars than other peeps and stints, accentuating the broad whitish supercilium, which flares a bit posteriorly. Bill is straighter and less tapered than Western Sandpiper; Semipalmated tends to be darker and more evenly brown-toned above than Western, which shows distinctive contrast between bright rufous scapulars and grayish wing coverts. Least Sandpiper is smaller with yellow legs and a more tapered slightly decurved bill. Basic-plumaged Sanderling has black-edged shoulders.

Length: 16 (cm) Wingspan: 36 (cm)

Habitat:

Beaches, mudflats, estuaries, alkali flats, lakeshores. Breeds on arctic tundra.

Behavior:

Nest is a lined ground depression. During migration and winter, forms large flocks, often with other shorebirds; concentrations can reach hundreds of thousands.

Feeding:

Probes in mud or sand for aquatic worms, crustaceans, insects, and other small organisms.