General

Surfbird: Medium-sized sandpiper with dark gray upperparts marked with rufous, white rump, and white underparts marked with distinct black chevrons. Upper breast, head, and neck are heavily streaked. Wings are dark with bold white stripes visible in flight. Tail is white with a black triangular tip visible in flight. Sexes are similar. Winter adult has dark gray upperparts, head and breast, distinct white eyebrows and throat, and pale chevrons on white belly.

Range and Habitat

Surfbird: This species breeds in rocky mountain tundra habitats throughout much of Alaska and the western Yukon Territory. Outside of its breeding season, it can be found on rocky shores along most of the Pacific coast, from southeastern Alaska and British Columbia south to Tierra del Fuego in southern Chile.

Breeding and Nesting

Surfbird: Four buff eggs spotted with red brown are laid on the ground in a rocky, natural depression lined with leaves, lichens, and moss. Both parents incubate the eggs.

Foraging and Feeding

Surfbird: Feeds mostly on insects during the breeding season; during the rest of the year eats mussels, limpets, snails, barnacles, and other invertebrates.

Vocalization

Surfbird: Utters a shrill "kee-wee" in flight. Sometimes gives a series of calls "tee-tee-teet", "krrree, krrree", and "tew, tew."

Similar Species

Surfbird: Black Turnstone, Wandering Tattler, and the other "rock-pipers" have longer bills without pale bases.