

The Birds · Plate CIII
Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa solitaria
Scolopacidae · Taxon 3875
| Length | 19–23 cm (7.5–9.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 55–57 cm (21.6–22.4 in) |
| Weight | 31–65 g (1.1–2.3 oz) |
Field marks
- Bold, complete white eye-ring
- Dark olive-brown upperparts neatly spotted with white
- Finely streaked gray-brown head, neck, and upper breast above a white belly
- Thin, straight, dark bill
- Fairly long olive-yellow legs
- Long folded wings and a short, dark-centered tail with pale barred outer feathers
HabitatQuiet freshwater wetlands, especially wooded ponds, stream edges, swamps, bogs, muddy pools, ditches, and flooded fields; generally avoids tidal flats and salt marshes.
BehaviorUsually solitary; walks slowly through shallow freshwater, bobbing its rear and sometimes trembling a foot to stir prey. Picks prey by sight, probes only occasionally, and may briefly hold its wings raised after landing.
Palette