What are sandpipers?
Q: What are sandpipers?
A: Sandpipers are a large family of waders or shorebirds, the Scolopacidae, which include many species called sandpipers as well as those called by names such as curlew and snipe.
Q: What do most species of sandpipers eat?
A: Most species of sandpipers eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil.
Q: How do different lengths of bills benefit sandpipers?
A: Different lengths of bills allow different species of sandpipers to feed in the same habitat on the coast without direct competition for food.
Q: How do sandpipers feel for their food?
A: Sandpipers feel for their food using their sensitive bills to feel the mud and sand as they probe for food.
Q: What is the nesting behavior of sandpipers?
A: Most species of sandpipers nest in open areas and defend their territories with aerial displays. The nest itself is a simple scrape in the ground, in which the bird usually lays three or four eggs.
Q: What is the plumage of sandpipers?
A: Sandpipers generally have dull plumage, with cryptic brown, grey, or streaked patterns, although some display brighter colors during the breeding season.
Q: Are the young of most species of sandpipers precocial or altricial?
A: The young of most species of sandpipers are precocial.
