Upland sandpiper

Scientific name: Bartramia longicauda

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Small, slender shorebird with a long neck, small head, and yellowish legs. Brown and buff plumage with streaking on the breast; distinctive pale eye-ring and dark loral mark. No pronounced sexual dimorphism.

Size and weight

Adults weigh 85–170 g; body length 28–32 cm. Males and females are similarly sized.

Habitat

Upland sandpipers inhabit grasslands, prairie, and open meadows with short to mid-height grass and minimal shrub cover. They prefer rolling terrain from sea level to 2,500 m elevation.

Distribution

Breeds across interior North America from central Canada south to northern Mexico; winters in South American grasslands. Prefers native prairie and grassland habitats away from dense vegetation.

Diet

Primarily insects (grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and lepidopteran larvae) supplemented with seeds and vegetation; diet shifts toward more vegetation in late summer and fall.

Behaviour

Diurnal ground forager that walks deliberately through grass, pausing frequently to scan for prey. Often perches on fenceposts or low rises; becomes flighty when alarmed. Generally solitary or in loose pairs during breeding; migratory.

Hunting tips

Glass open grasslands during dawn and dusk; birds often rest on slight rises and fenceposts, offering silhouette opportunities. Approach upwind and use terrain undulation for concealment. Listen for sharp, distinctive calls to locate birds; they flush readily, so steady stalking through likely cover or waiting near travel corridors is effective.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

Antigua & Barbuda

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.