least sandpiper

The least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) is the smallest sandpiper species, measuring less than 15 cm (6 inches) in length. It is also known as the American stint. This bird is abundant in Alaska and across sub-Arctic Canada, migrating to winter on coasts from Oregon and North Carolina down to South America.12

Sandpipers, in general, are small to medium-sized shorebirds belonging to the family Scolopacidae. They typically have moderately long bills and legs, long, narrow wings, and short tails. Their plumage often features a mix of browns, buffs, and blacks on their upperparts, with white or cream undersides, and they are often paler in autumn. Sandpipers feed on insects, crustaceans, and worms found on beaches and mudflats, and many nest in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions.1