Solitary sandpipers are usually one of the first shorebirds I see headed south to their wintering grounds in Mexico and South America. This bird was filmed a few days ago (July 18 2010) a mile or so from my house in western Maine. As their name implies, they are often found alone or in small groups. They prefer fresh water with a muddy shoreline where they feed on a variety of insects and invertebrates.
Solitary sandpipers breed mainly in the Canadian boreal forest into Alaska. One amazing fact about this shorebird is that they nest in trees. This is a unique behavior among North American shorebirds. They are mainly silent but will give a high pitched weet, weet, weet, call in flight or when alarmed.
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