Length: 6 to 7 inches | Wingspan: 12 to 14 inches | Seasonality: Migrant |
ID Keys: Bill drooped and generally longer than similar Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers,, black legs and feet. Rusty stripe on scapulars in breeding plumage. |
The Western Sandpiper is a very close relative of the Semipalmated Sandpiper, and the two can be very difficult to differentiate between. While many can be found on both U.S. coastlines during the winter, they also migrate southward as far as southern South America. Massive flocks can be found in key migration stopover sites along the West Coast in the Fall.
2) WhatBird - Western Sandpiper
3) Audubon Guide - Western Sandpiper
Click on the map below for a higher-resolution view |
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South Dakota Status: Casual migrant. Status is difficult to determine in the state, given the extreme difficulty in differentiating Western Sandpipers from the more common species that migrate through the state. |