Sandpipers

There are three types of Sandpipers in the

The Spotted Sandpiper, photo taken from The Birds of Rio Grande Valley

Mississagi River Valley region -- the Spotted and the Upland. They are both wading birds with slander bills, and in both species the sexes are similar. The Spotted Sandpiper is much smaller than the Upland variety, and it is the most widespread along shores and lakes. These Sandpipers tend to teeter up and down as if they are delicately built. Their call is a clear "peet", or "peet-weet". In the fall and winter their spots begin to fade to the point where they have no spots at all, and are merely olive-brown in color. The Upland Sandpiper is one of the largest sandpipers. It looks a lot like the Spotted, but has a longer tail and shorter bill compared to its body size. The call is a mellow sound, often heard at night, which sounds like a weird, windy, whistling "whooleee, wheelooo." The Spotted Sandpiper can be found along pebbly lakeshores, ponds, and streamsides, whereas the Upland Sandpiper prefers grassy prairies, meadows, and fields.