Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.1–5.9 in
13–15 cm - Wingspan
- 11.4–11.8 in
29–30 cm - Weight
- 0.7–1.1 oz
21–32 g
Other Names
- Correlimos semipalmeado (Spanish)
- Bécasseau semipalmé (French)
Cool Facts
- Semipalmated Sandpipers from eastern populations probably undertake nonstop transoceanic flights of 3,000 - 4,000 km (1,900 - 2,500 mi) from New England and southern Canada to South America, powered by extensive fat reserves.
- The Semipalmated Sandpiper gets its common name from the short webs between its toes ("palmated" means webbed). The Western Sandpiper is the only other small sandpiper with similarly webbed toes.
Habitat
Shore-line
Breeds on open tundra, generally near water. Winters and migrates along mudflats, sandy beaches, shores of lakes and ponds, and wet meadows.
Food
Insects
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Condition at Hatching
- Active and covered with down.
Nest Placement
Ground
© 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Behavior
Ground Forager
Conservation
Least Concern
Common.
Credits
- Gratto-Trevor, C. L. 1992. Semipalmated Sandpiper. In The Birds of North America, No. 6 (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC: The American Ornithologists' Union.