The least sandpiper is the smallest American shorebird. It is 5-6 inches (13-15 cm) in length with a wingspan of 10.6-11 inches (7-28 cm).
It has a pointed black bill with a slight droop at the end, long, yellowish legs, a short neck, and a reddish-brown back and wings marked with scalloped-shaped black markings edged in white.
It has white undersides, a streaky brown breast, and a black line on its rump that runs into its tail. It has a thin white line that runs across its upper wings, which is visible when it is in flight.
In the winter, it is more gray than brown. Males and females look alike.
The least sandpiper eats insects, larvae, small crustaceans, mollusks, marine worms, and some seeds.
They walk with their heads down as they forage for food on the ground. Sometimes, they probe for food in the mud.
The least sandpiper nests in colonies. The male arrives at the breeding grounds first and establishes a territory.
The male and female least sandpiper make a scrape in the ground and line it with leaves, moss, and grass. The female usually lays four eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs for 19-25 days.
The chicks are precocial and leave the nest and feed themselves a day after hatching. The male and the female care for the chicks, but the female leaves before the chicks fledge at three weeks old.
The least sandpiper has an average lifespan of around 11 years. The oldest known least sandpiper was a female that lived to be 15 years old.
The least sandpiper is a relatively solitary bird and usually roosts by itself or in small groups.
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The least sandpiper does not breed in New Hampshire, but it can be spotted in the state during migration in the spring and the fall.
The least sandpiper breeds from Alaska east to Newfoundland, Canada.
It winters along the Pacific Coast from California south to South America and on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey south to South America.
It is also found in inland areas in the Southeast and the Southwest.
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