Sandpipers- ORDER: Charadriiformes
- FAMILY: Scolopacidae
Basic Description
Among shorebirds, the Rock Sandpiper could win a prize for hardiness. It not only breeds in the Arctic, but also winters farther north than most other shorebirds, amid ice-encrusted rocky shores and mudflats. During its brief nesting season, these rather stout, gray shorebirds are a blur of activity, feeding heavily, displaying, building multiple nests, and raising chicks in just a few short weeks. Afterward, they gather in flocks, feeding on invertebrates in both rocky and muddy tidal habitats.
More ID InfoFind This Bird
In the breeding season, it can be relatively easy to find Rock Sandpipers along western Alaska shorelines, including the Pribilof and Aleutian Islands. From late fall through early spring, look through groups of Black Oystercatchers, Black Turnstones, Sanderlings, and Surfbirds to find wintering Rock Sandpipers from British Columbia to Northern California. Check a tide chart and look during high tide, when Rock Sandpipers stop foraging and concentrate at roost sites.
Other Names
- Correlimos Roquero (Spanish)
- Bécasseau des Aléoutiennes (French)