Western Sandpiper

1/1600s at f8.0, ISO:800, Canon Mark IV 1D w/800mm x1.4 converter


The Western Sandpiper is a small shore bird. Their breeding habitat is on the tundra in eastern Siberia and Alaska. They nest on the ground usually under some vegetation. The male makes several scrapes; the female selects one and lays 4 eggs. Both parents incubate and care for dependent young, who feed themselves. Sometimes the female deserts her mate and brood prior to offspring fledging. They migrate to both coasts of North America and South America. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. These birds forage on mudflats during migration and the non-breeding season by probing or picking up food by sight. Foraging occurs on tundra and wet meadows during the breeding season. They mainly eat insects, small crustaceans and mollusks. This is one of the most abundant shorebird species in North America with a population in the millions.
Bolsa Chica Wetland, California
 
08/26/2012