The Upland Sandpiper is a medium-sized shorebird of about 28-32 cm in length. Some distinguishing features of the Upland Sandpiper include its dove-like head, thin neck, long thin legs, camouflage olive-brown coloring, and yellow bill with a black tip. The under parts of the Upland Sandpiper are whitish or yellowish in color. The sides and breast of the Upland Sandpiper are strongly patterned with dark and pale brown buff. The call of the Upland Sandpiper is a distinctive, long “wolf whistle”. It is often confused with the Long-billed Curlew call, which is a shorter and less rich call. Juveniles appear similar to adults with a paler head. The Upland Sandpiper is a fully terrestrial shorebird that is rarely found in wetland or coastal areas, which makes it unique from other shorebirds. Instead, its preferred habitat is grasslands. Seventy percent of the breeding population of Upland Sandpipers occurs in grassland areas of the central and northern Great Plains (Houston et al. 2011).

Citations:

• Houston, C. Stuart, Cameron R. Jackson and Daniel E. Bowen, Jr. 2011. Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/580