Pl. CXXXIV
The Birds · Plate CXXXIV
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Calidris pusilla
Scolopacidae · Taxon 3862
| Length | 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 35–37 cm (13.8–14.6 in) |
| Weight | 18–52 g (0.6–1.8 oz) |
Field marks
- Very small, plump shorebird with a short neck and small head
- Short, straight, dark bill with a blunt-looking tip
- Dark eye accented by a weak pale eyebrow
- Gray-brown to rusty-brown upperparts with dark mottling or a neat scaly pattern
- Pale breast and white belly, with streaking largely confined to the breast
- Blackish legs; pointed folded wings reach approximately to the short tail
HabitatBreeds on low tundra near ponds and marshes; during migration and the nonbreeding season, frequents tidal mudflats, estuaries, beaches, sandbars, shallow wetland margins, lakeshores, and wet fields.
BehaviorGround-foraging shorebird that walks over wet substrates, rapidly pecking and probing for tiny invertebrates; often migrates and roosts in large flocks, though individuals may aggressively defend feeding space.
Palette
gray-brownwhiteblackbuffrusty brown