Sandpiper

Sandpiper, a popular name for birds of the sub-family Totaninae of the Snipe family (Scolopacidae). The bill is straight, or has a slight upward curve, and the toes are joined at the base by a fold of skin. The popular name refers to their habit of frequenting wet and sandy places and to their piping note. They feed on small aquatic animals, which they take by probing in the sand with their bills, or catch in rock-pools or at the water's edge. They are very widely distributed, and their migration is generally extensive; the winter is usually spent in the extreme north. They are all of small size, with prettily-marked plumage, and are valued for the table. The Common Sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucus), about eight inches long, yellow-brown marked with black above and white below, is a summer visitor to Britain and Ireland. The Redshank (T. calidris), with a body about the size of a snipe's, with longer legs, is resident. The Spotted or Dusky Redshank (T. fuscus) is an occasional visitor, as are some other species. [CURLEW, DUNLIN, GREENSHANK, KNOT, RUFF, SANDERLING.] The Little Stint (T. minuta), the American Stint (T. minutella), and Temminck's Stint (T. temmincki) are occasional British visitors. The Phalaropes, which have the toes lobed like those of a coot and webbed at the base, are sometimes called Swimming Sandpipers. The Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) and the Rednecked Phalarope (P. hyperboreus) are rare visitors.