By: David Torres
Next time you’re at the beach enjoying the sun, you might notice a few feathered friends around, looking for something to eat. Shorebirds are easily spotted anywhere there is land for hunting and scavenging, next to large bodies of water like oceans, seas, and even large lakes.
Not every bird you see at the shore is a shorebird, however. Some of them are just visiting, or found a great place to nest nearby. There are specific types of birds that can be classified as a shorebird, also known as waddling birds. These birds have a distinctive body shape and behaviors that distinguishes them from others.
What do they look like?
It can be hard to identify a shorebird by their appearance alone. They tend to vary in color and size. But typically, you can spot a shorebird by their body shape. They’ll usually have a large round head, with long legs. A special bill allows them to dig through the mud, sand, gravel, or water. It’s usually the bill that will give them away as shorebirds, as they have developed special ones for gathering food in their environment.
What do they eat?
A shorebirds’ diet will consist of insects, crustaceans, worms, larvae, tadpoles, and other similar prey. They will often bury their beaks into the ground looking for food, or walk in shallow waters until something catches their eye. Some shorebirds will hop in and out of the waves hunting for food, or fly just above the water to get a better view.
What are the different types?
There are over 180 different types of shorebirds all around the world and they come in all different sizes and colors. They are often found in a mixed flock with other kinds of shorebirds, only really separating when they are getting ready to lay their eggs. Below are a few kinds of shorebirds with distinctive features that sets them apart.
Avocets
Avocets are larger waddling shorebirds. They have very thin upturned bills with long, thin legs. There are four species of avocet that can be found around the world. The pied avocet is found in parts of Africa, Europe, and Asia. The red-necked avocet is found in Australia, and the Andean avocet is found in South America.
The American Avocet is the only one found in North America, making it easily recognizable, especially in its colorful cinnamon-tinged feathers. All avocets are part of the Recurvirostridae bird family, which also includes the stilts. These two types of shorebirds are often seen together.
Oystercatchers
Oystercatchers are stocky, shorter shorebirds with long, thick bills that are strong enough to get to their favorite food; oysters, clams, and mussels. These birds generally have thicker bodies and legs, making them easy to spot among the other birds. The dark feathers of most oystercatcher species are very similar and it can be hard to tell one type of oystercatcher bird from another.
Most species of oystercatchers don’t overlap in their territory, so the best way to identify these birds is by geography. All oystercatchers are part of the Haematopodidae bird family and there are 10 to 12 total species throughout the world, depending on how individual species are split or lumped with their subspecies.
Willets
Willets are another large, long-billed species of shorebird that can be found all along the shores of America. They were once considered an endangered species, but now have been revived under environmental protection laws. Willets can be found from southwestern Canada to Colorado, to Mexico and Nova Scotia, to Florida and the West Indies.
They get their name from their loud calls and can be spotted by their black and white wings and long grey body. Willets belonging to the Scolopacidae bird family which also includes the snipes, turnstones, and curlews.
Stilts
Stilts are tall shorebirds with long, thin legs. They got their name from their appearance so identifying them in a flock is pretty easy. They can also be spotted by their long thin bills and colorful legs of some species, and their call sounds like high pitched squeaking.
There are only three stilt species in the world, and each is distinct. The black-necked stilt which is found worldwide, the banded stilt, found in Australia, and the black stilt. All of them are in the Recurvirostridae bird family.
Sandpipers
Sandpipers are the most diverse category of shorebirds. Their sizes and feather colors usually range greatly so it can be difficult to spot them in a diverse flock of birds. They can range from tiny, solid color birds to larger birds with distinct markings. All of the sandpipers have sensitive bills that they use to probe through the sand or mud when feeding.
These birds are part of the Scolopacidae bird family, which consists of about 80 to 90 different species, including willets. While there are many species that include “sandpiper” in their name, other species such as turnstones, stints, phalaropes, snipes, and dowitchers are also classified as sandpipers.
Plovers
Plovers are another diverse group of shorebirds, with a smaller build. They have short, thick necks, and relatively shorter legs than most shorebirds. They also have small, straight, thicker bills. Most plovers have distinct bands on their head or chest and may also show distinct wing patterns in flight.
Their nervous behavior of short sprints, abrupt stops, and glancing around, as they stay above the waterline foraging for insects, is a strong clue to their identity. All plovers, approximately 65 species worldwide including lapwings and dotterels, belong to the Charadriidae bird family.
There are tons more species of shorebirds that all have a unique feature or quality. But for the most part, all shorebirds share a key feature of living and hunting around shorelines, mudflats, and shallow waters. They can typically be found with other shorebirds, but vary in size and appearance. So, the next time you’re at the beach, take a look around and see what different kinds of birds are flying around. You might see one of those mentioned above.
