Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusillaOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Sandpipers (Scolopacidae)

Codes: Common Name: SESA Scientific Name: CALPUS ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176667

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Overview

Semipalmated Sandpiper: Small sandpiper with scaled gray-brown upperparts, white underparts, and fine streaks on the breast and sides. The black bill is short, stout and straight. Feeds on insects, worms, small mollusks and crustaceans. Legs and feet are black. Swift flight on rapidly beating wings.

Range and Habitat

Semipalmated Sandpiper: Breeds in lower Arctic regions from western Alaska to Labrador. Migrates through the interior and along the Atlantic coast to reach its wintering grounds, which extend from the southern U.S. to South America. Preferred habitats include shorelines and mudflats.

Topo Map: Sandpiper-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"churk", "churp", "kee-kee-kee-kee"

Interesting Facts

The Semipalmated Sandpiper is perhaps the most numerous shorebird in North America, sometimes occurring by the thousands during migration.

They are often found on mudflats feeding together with their close relatives, the Least and Western sandpipers.

The word "semipalmated," referring to the birds' toes, means "half-webbed." Actually the toes are only slightly lobed at their bases, but they do help the birds to walk on mud without sinking.

A group of sandpipers has many collective nouns, including a "bind", "contradiction", "fling", "hill", and "time-step" of sandpipers.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Imran Kahn

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Semipalmated Sandpiper

● Song: "churk", "churp", "kee-kee-kee-kee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Semipalmated Sandpiper: Feeds on insects and crustaceans; forages on mudflats.

● Breeding & nesting: Semipalmated Sandpiper: Two to four brown blotched, white to olive buff eggs are laid in a ground hollow lined with grass. Incubation ranges from 18 to 22 days and is carried out by both parents. Female abandons young after few days. First flight is at 14 to 19 days.

● Similar species: Semipalmated Sandpiper: Least Sandpiper is browner and has yellow legs. Western Sandpiper has longer bill.

Flight Pattern

Swift flight with rapid wing beats.

Semipalmated Sandpiper Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Semipalmated Sandpiper: Breeds in lower Arctic regions from western Alaska to Labrador. Migrates through the interior and along the Atlantic coast to reach its wintering grounds, which extend from the southern U.S. to South America. Preferred habitats include shorelines and mudflats.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationFairly common to common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight1.1 Ounces

Sandpiper-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America