Species BirdsCurlew Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

RareBird
Illustration of Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)

The Curlew Sandpiper is a Eurasian shorebird that regularly appears in small numbers along both coasts of North America, particularly in autumn. In breeding plumage the rich brick-red underparts are distinctive; in fall it becomes a plain gray-and-white bird with a decurved bill. Finding one among the hordes of other sandpipers on a fall coastal mudflat is a prize for any birder.

Habitat
Coastal mudflats, salt marshes, and sandy beaches during migration
Diet
Marine invertebrates, worms, and insects
How common
Rare

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