sand·pi·per / ˈsan(d)ˌpīpər/ • n. a wading bird (Calidris, Tringa, and Actitis, and other genera) with a long bill and typically long legs, nesting on the ground near water. Its numerous species include the western sandpiper (C. mauri), which breeds on the seashores of Alaska and winters from the the southern US to Peru, and the spotted sandpiper (A. macularia), which prefers lakes and streams and is the most widespread North American sandpiper. The sandpiper family (Scolopacidae) also includes the godwits, curlews, redshanks, turnstones, phalaropes, woodcock, snipe, and ruff.

sandpiper Wading bird that breeds in cold regions and migrates long distances to winter in warm areas, settling in grass or low bushes near water. It feeds on invertebrates, and nests in a grass-lined hole in the ground. Length: 15–60cm (6–24in). Family Scolopacidae.