# Upland Sandpiper (*bartramia longicauda*) The Upland Sandpiper is a long-legged bird that loves to run across open fields. With its unique call and beautiful spotted feathers, it's a fun bird to spot in nature! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Open grasslands and fields, often near agricultural areas. - **Also known as:** Bartram's Sandpiper, Grass Plover, Upland Plover ![Upland Sandpiper](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Bartramia_longicauda_Orangeburg_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Don Faulkner, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bartramia_longicauda_Orangeburg_1.jpg) ## Appearance The Upland Sandpiper is a medium-sized shorebird with a distinctive small head, large dark eyes, and a long neck on a streaky brown body. Its chest is finely streaked fading to a pale belly, and it has yellowish legs. A unique peaked crown gives its head a triangular appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Scolopacidae - **Genus:** Bartramia ## Interesting facts - It often perches on fence posts, looking like a tiny, watchful sentinel. - Their nests are simple scrapes on the ground, hidden by dense grass. - These birds arrive on their breeding grounds exactly when grasses are tall! - They eat so many grasshoppers, they help farmers protect their crops. ## Special abilities - **Grassland Navigator:** Upland Sandpiper can locate hidden insects and small prey deep within tall grasses because of its keen eyesight and acute hearing. - **Flute Caller:** Upland Sandpiper has a distinctive, mellow whistle-like call that sounds like a flute, used for communicating over vast distances. - **Camouflage Master:** Upland Sandpiper can blend seamlessly into grassy environments thanks to its streaky brown and buff plumage, hiding it from predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 28-32 cm - **Wingspan:** 50-55 cm - **Weight:** 0.1-0.2 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-10 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 21-26 days - **Migration Distance:** 12000 km ## Diet & Feeding These birds love munching on insects, especially grasshoppers, found hiding in tall fields! - **Primary Foods:** Grasshoppers, Crickets, Beetles, Caterpillars, Spiders - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Foxes prey on their eggs and young in open grasslands. - **Eats:** [Differential Grasshopper](https://www.snappit.app/explore/differential-grasshopper) (*Melanoplus differentialis*) — These sandpipers feast on various insects, especially grasshoppers. - **Depends on:** [Big Bluestem](https://www.snappit.app/explore/big-bluestem) (*Andropogon gerardii*) — This native prairie grass provides essential nesting habitat. - **Eaten by:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — Large raptors, like hawks, can prey on adult Upland Sandpipers. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Upland Sandpiper? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Upland Sandpiper? 28-32 cm ### What is Upland Sandpiper's wingspan? 50-55 cm ### How much does Upland Sandpiper weigh? 0.1-0.2 kg ### How long does Upland Sandpiper live? 3-10 years ### How fast can Upland Sandpiper move? 70 km/h ### What does Upland Sandpiper eat? These birds love munching on insects, especially grasshoppers, found hiding in tall fields! ### Where is Upland Sandpiper usually found? Open grasslands and fields, often near agricultural areas. ## Where to spot - [Hooker County Courthouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hooker-county-courthouse) — Nebraska, US · Historic Site - [King Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/king-ranch) — Texas, US · Historic Site - [Spruce Woods Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/spruce-woods-provincial-park) — Manitoba, CA · State Park [View all places to see Upland Sandpiper](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/upland-sandpiper) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Upland Sandpiper: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/upland-sandpiper)