On a very windy and surf’s up sorta day, Bob and I went to Cabrillo Beach to watch the waves bash up against the breakwater. While we were there we saw a sandpiper pecking for food.
The Scolopacidae are a large family of waders, (known as shorebirds in North America). Many of the smaller species are often called “sandpipers”, especially members of genera Calidris, Tringa and Actitis. Other well-known groups include curlews and snipes. The majority of species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of bills enable different species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food.
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