Semipalmated Sandpiper
Encyclopedia
The Semipalmated Sandpiper, Calidris pusilla, is a very small shorebird. It is sometimes separated with other "stint
s" in Erolia but although these apparently form a monophyletic group, the present species' old genus
Ereunetes had been proposed before Erolia.
Adults have black legs and a short stout straight dark bill. The body is dark grey-brown on top and white underneath. The head and neck are tinged light grey-brown. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds, in particular the Western Sandpiper
; these are known collectively as "peeps" or "stint
s".
Their breeding habitat is the southern tundra in Canada
and Alaska
near water. They nest on the ground. The male makes several shallow scrapes, the female chooses one and adds grass and other material to line the nest. The female lays 4 eggs; the male assists in incubation. After a few days, the female leaves the young with the male; the young feed themselves.
They are long distance migrants
and winter in coastal South America
with some going to the southern United States
. They migrate in flocks which can number in the hundreds of thousands, particularly in favoured feeding locations such as the Bay of Fundy
and Delaware Bay
. This species is a rare but regular vagrant to western Europe.
These birds forage on mudflats, picking up food by sight and feel (bill). They mainly eat aquatic insects and crustaceans.
Although very numerous, these birds are highly dependent on a few key stopover habitats during their migration, notably, Shepody Bay
, an arm of the Bay of Fundy http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/ramsar/shepody.html.
During the months of July and August you can go to one of two information centers run by the Nature Conservancy of Canada about the shorebirds in either Johnson's Mills or Mary's point.
Stint
A stint is one of several very small waders in the paraphyletic "Calidris" assemblage - often separated in Erolia -, which in North America are known as peeps...
s" in Erolia but although these apparently form a monophyletic group, the present species' old genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Ereunetes had been proposed before Erolia.
Adults have black legs and a short stout straight dark bill. The body is dark grey-brown on top and white underneath. The head and neck are tinged light grey-brown. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds, in particular the Western Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
The Western Sandpiper, Calidris or Erolia mauri, is a small shorebird.Adults have dark legs and a short thin dark bill, thinner at the tip. The body is brown on top and white underneath. They are reddish-brown on the crown. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny...
; these are known collectively as "peeps" or "stint
Stint
A stint is one of several very small waders in the paraphyletic "Calidris" assemblage - often separated in Erolia -, which in North America are known as peeps...
s".
Their breeding habitat is the southern tundra in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
near water. They nest on the ground. The male makes several shallow scrapes, the female chooses one and adds grass and other material to line the nest. The female lays 4 eggs; the male assists in incubation. After a few days, the female leaves the young with the male; the young feed themselves.
They are long distance migrants
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
and winter in coastal South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
with some going to the southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They migrate in flocks which can number in the hundreds of thousands, particularly in favoured feeding locations such as the Bay of Fundy
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy is a bay on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine...
and Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
. This species is a rare but regular vagrant to western Europe.
These birds forage on mudflats, picking up food by sight and feel (bill). They mainly eat aquatic insects and crustaceans.
Although very numerous, these birds are highly dependent on a few key stopover habitats during their migration, notably, Shepody Bay
Shepody Bay
Shepody Bay is a 122 km² coastal wetland in New Brunswick, Canada. It was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on May 27, 1987, is a globally significant Important Bird Area, and is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network...
, an arm of the Bay of Fundy http://www.atl.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/ramsar/shepody.html.
During the months of July and August you can go to one of two information centers run by the Nature Conservancy of Canada about the shorebirds in either Johnson's Mills or Mary's point.
Identification
- Jonsson, LarsLars Jonsson (bird artist)Lars Jonsson is a Swedish ornithological illustrator.-English:*Birds of Sea and Coast Penguin ISBN 0140630031*Birds of Wood, Park and Garden Penguin ISBN 0140630023...
& Peter J. GrantPeter J. GrantPeter James Grant was a British ornithologist.He co-wrote, with Killian Mullarney, the booklet "The New Approach to Identification".He wrote and revised "Gulls, an identification guide"....
(1984) Identification of stints and peeps British BirdsBritish Birds (magazine)British Birds is a monthly ornithology magazine that was established in 1907. It is now published by BB 2000 Ltd, which is wholly owned by The British Birds Charitable Trust , established for the benefit of British ornithology...
77(7):293-315
External links
- Semipalmated Sandpiper Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Semipalmated Sandpiper Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Johnson's Mills Nature Preserve on Shepody Bay
- An online identification article covering this species and other small calidrids