Suborder Scolopaci contains one family, Scolopacidae. This family contrains the shorter-blled sandpipers and allies and also longer-billed species such as the godwits and curlews.






Genus Calidris
Calidrids have  sensitive bills that they use to probe along the shoreline to search for food. They often move their feet very rapidly as they run along the water's edge. They fly long distances and many of the species are found on a number of continents.

Dunlin Calidris alpina   Found: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
Photographed by: 1 - 7, 8) Dick Daniels - North Carolina
1) Juvenile in November  2) Adult in November

1) April  2, 3) May

Photos Nov. - Jan.


Knot, Great  Calidris tenuirostris  Found: Asia, Australia
Photographed by: 1) JJ Harrison - Thailand  2) Aviceda - Scarborough, SE Queensland, Australia  3) M. Nishimura
1) Nonbreeding  2, 3) Breeding


Knot, Red Calidris canutus   Found: The Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels on Sanibel Island, Florida   2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) Dick - North Carolina  
    7) Cláudio Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
1) Juvenile  2) Nonbreeding


Surfbird  Aphriza virgata  Found: The Americas
Photographed by: 1, 2)  Len Blumin - Bodega Bay, California   3) Alan -Near Victoria, British Columbia
1) First summer  2, 3) Nonbreeding  4) Breeding


Sanderling Calidris alba   Found: The Americas, Europe, Africa, Australia
 1) Dick Daniels - Homer, Alaska  2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) Dick - North Carolina
Sept (juvenile), Jan, Feb, Mar

Apr, May, Sept, Nov


Sandpiper, Baird's Calidris bairdii     Found: The Americas
Photographed by: 1)  Dominic Sherony  2) Maggie Smith - Old Creek, Cayucos, California 
2) Juvenile


Sandpiper, Curlew Calidris ferruginea Found: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia
Photographed by: 1, 3) Dick Daniels - North Carolina   2) Lip Kee Yap - Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore
3) - curlew is bigger than dunlin 


Sandpiper, Least Calidris minutilla   Found: The Americas
Photographed by:   1) Len Blumin  - Sacramento Landing, California,
    2) Alan D Wilson - Grant Narrows Regional Park, Pitt-Addington Marsh Wildlife Management Area, Pitt Meadows, British Columbia
    3, 5, 6, 8) Dick Daniels in:North Carolina  7) Dick - New Jersey   4) New Jersy Birds



Sandpiper, Pectoral Calidris melanotos   Found: The Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand
Photographed by:  1) Alan D Wilson - Cattle Point, Uplands, Near Victoria, British Columbia
    2) Dick Daniels - New Jersey 3) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil  4)  Dominic Sherony


Sandpiper, Purple Calidris maritima Found: North America, Europe
Andreas Trepte 2) Mjobling


Sandpiper, Rock Calidris ptilocnemis   Found: northern Pacific coast of North America
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Alaska 2) Alan D Wilson - Southwest Point, St. Paul Island, Alaska
2) Breeding


Sandpiper, Semipalmated Calidris pusilla   Found: The Americas
Photographed by:  1 - 3) Dick Daniels - North Carolina 


Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Calidris acuminata   Found: North America (rare), Asia, Australia, New Zealand
Photographed by: 1) Alnus  2, 3) Dick Daniels - Australia


Sandpiper, Stilt  Calidris himantopus  Found: The Americas
Photographed by: 1) Len Blumin - Indian Point Park, Texas  2) Dan Pancamo   3)  Dominic Sherony


Sandpiper, Western Calidris mauri   Found: The Americas
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3) Dick Daniels - North Carolina
   4) Alan D Wilson - Cattle Point, Uplands, Near Victoria, British Columbia
1) Semipalmated or Western   2, 3) note the partially webbed foot (semipalmated also partially webbed)


Sandpiper, White-rumped  Calidris fuscicollis  Found: The Americas
Photographed by:  1, 2, 3) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil


Stint, Little Calidris minuta   Found: North America (rarely) Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
Andreas Trepte 2)  Lip Kee Yap  3) Dick Daniels - Tanzania


Stint, Long-toed   Calidris subminuta  Found: Asia, Australasia
Photographed by: 1) JJ Harrison - Thailand  2) Alnus - Taoyuan County, Taiwan


Stint, Red-necked Calidris ruficollis  Found: Asia, Australasia
Photographed by: 1) JJ Harrison - Tasmania, Australia  2) David Cook  - Cairns, QLD, Australia



Genus Limicola - 1 species
This genus is disputed. It has also been placed in Erolia and more recently into Philomachus.

Sandpiper, Broad-billed  Limicola falcinellus  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa, Asutralasia
Photographed by Alastair Rae



Genus Philomachus - 1 species

Ruff Philomachus pugnax   Found: North America (rare), Europe, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Len Blumin - Marin County, California  2) Marek Szczepanek 
 


Genus Renaria

Turnstone, Black Renaria melanocephala  Found: west coast of North America
Photographed by: 1) Elaine R Wilson - Children's Pool, San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park La Jolla, California
   2) Alan D Wilson - Children's Pool, San Diego La Jolla Underwater Park (Ecological Reserve), La Jolla, California
   3) Len Blumin - Costa Rica 


Turnstone, Ruddy Arenaria interpres   North America, Europe, Asia, and visits many other coastlines
Photographed by:  1, 2, 3, 5, 7)  Dick Daniels - North Carolina   4) Dick on Sanibel Island, Florida  6) Dick - Negril, Jamaica




Genus Tryngites - 1 species

Sandpiper, Buff-breasted  Tryngites subruficollis Found: The Americas, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dominic Sherony  2, 3) Tim Lenz  4) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil