General

Wood Sandpiper: Small wader with green-yellow legs. Dark brown streaked crown, white eyebrow, and dark line through eye. White underparts with brown-gray streaks and marks on neck, breast, and flanks. White rump. Gray-brown back and wings with pale brown mottling. Toes project beyond tail in fast flight. Sexes similar. Juvenile like adult but with paler streaking on neck and breast, darker crown, and darker brown back with pale brown spots.

Range and Habitat

Wood Sandpiper: Breeds across northern Europe and Asia; it winters in equatorial areas stretching from Africa to Asia. Found on the Aleutian Islands of Alaska during spring migration, and occasionally lingers in the area to breed. Has been recorded in British Columbia and northeastern North America.

Breeding and Nesting

Wood Sandpiper: Monogamous. Breeding site is open, swampy area. Nest is often a scrape on the ground, and may be surrounded by water. May use abandoned nest of another species in a tree. Both parents incubate eggs. Male is mostly responsible for tending young, which fledge in 30 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Wood Sandpiper: Chiefly carnivorous whilst breeding, probing for aquatic and terrestrial insects in shallow water or on mud. During non-breeding season also eats worms, spiders, snails, crustaceans, small fish, frogs, and some seeds.

Vocalization

Wood Sandpiper: Loud, sharp series of 3 or more whistles.

Similar Species

Wood Sandpiper: Green Sandpiper has dark wing underwings. Solitary Sandpiper has dark wing linings and dark stripe down center of tail. Lesser Yellowlegs is larger and taller with brighter orange legs and a less obvious eyeline.