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Photo by Richard Day/Daybreak Imagery |
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This is our most common sandpiper, or "peep," along with the least sandpiper. There are five "peeps" including this species, the Western, least, white-rumped, and Baird's. The semipalmated sandpiper is most easily confused with the Western sandpiper; that species is much scarcer and typically has a thicker and longer, more down-curved bill.
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Semipalmated Sandpiper
Calidris pusilla
At-a-Glance
• Incubation: 18-22 days
• Clutch Size: 4 eggs
• Young Fledge: 19 days after hatching
• Typical Foods: aquatic invertebrates and seeds
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Description
The semipalmated sandpiper is less streaked on the breast than other "peeps." Its feathers are also slightly grayer above. The belly is white and the legs are black.
Habitat and Habits
These sandpipers inhabit open mudflats and typically forage at or near the water's edge on the wettest portions of the mud, but they can range into higher, drier areas. Semipalmated sandpipers give a very rapid series of high, shrill notes, along with lower, more drawn out grating calls. The other peeps tend to have more musical, less mechanical-sounding calls.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
Breeding takes place on tundra in northern Canada and Alaska. The nest is a slight depression in the ground. |
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