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Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusilla

Sandpipers and Allies (Scolopacidae) · Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)

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Semipalmated Sandpiper

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Often mixed up with

In quizzes, players most often confuse Semipalmated Sandpiper with these birds—either this species was picked by mistake, or the other way around.

Species Mix-ups
Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri 128
Little Stint Calidris minuta 67
White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis 52
Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos 50
Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla 33

Family

Scolopacidae is a large family of shorebirds, or waders, which mainly includes many species known as sandpipers, but also others such as woodcocks, curlews, and snipes. Most of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. There is no evidence that different lengths of bills enable multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.

Order

Charadriiformes (, from Charadrius, the type genus of family Charadriidae) is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 390 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most charadriiform birds live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic (seabirds), others frequent deserts, and a few are found in dense forest.

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