Sandpiper

Sandpiper refers to a group of about 80 species of wading birds in the family Scolopacidae. These birds are typically small to medium-sized with long legs and distinctive bills that are often slender and probing. Their plumage varies, but many species exhibit cryptic coloration, blending in with their sandy or muddy habitats, often with patterns of brown, gray, and white. Sandpipers are found on every continent except Antarctica, favoring coastal areas, mudflats, salt marshes, and sometimes freshwater wetlands.

The diet of sandpipers consists mainly of invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and worms, which they extract from their substrate using their specialized bills. Their feeding behavior often involves probing the mud or sand with their bills, sometimes to considerable depths. Sandpipers are known for their energetic and agile movements, often seen running along the water's edge, seemingly following the retreating waves.

Many sandpiper species undertake long-distance migrations, traveling thousands of miles between their breeding grounds in the Arctic and their non-breeding grounds in temperate and tropical regions. They are often found in flocks, especially during migration and in their non-breeding seasons, forming impressive aerial displays. The breeding habits vary, with some species nesting in solitary pairs and others in more concentrated colonies. They typically lay a small clutch of eggs in a simple nest on the ground.