sandpiper

sand·pip·er | \ ˈsan(d)-ˌpī-pər

How to pronounce sandpiper (audio)

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Definition of sandpiper

: any of various small shorebirds (family Scolopacidae, the sandpiper family) distinguished from the related plovers chiefly by the longer and soft-tipped bill

Examples of sandpiper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other sightings around the Cape included a royal tern at Scusset Beach in Sandwich, 12 Western sandpipers at Sandy Neck in Barnstable, 2 Caspian terns at Dowse’s Beach in Osterville, and up to two harlequin ducks in Provincetown. — BostonGlobe.com, "Recent bird sightings on Cape Cod (as of Sept. 17) as reported to the Massachusetts Audubon Society.," 24 Sep. 2019 Parker River National Wildlife Refuge: Among reports were four Northern shovelers, a Eurasian wigeon, a ruddy duck, a pectoral sandpiper, three American woodcocks, an Eastern phoebe, and a Lapland longspur. — BostonGlobe.com, "Most read on BostonGlobe.com," 3 Nov. 2019 Some of these visitors will include green-winged teal, the colorful wood duck, Western and Clark’s grebes, some species of sandpiper and loons. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Ladder-backed woodpecker is fond of the desert," 19 Sep. 2019 The team also drew on the Audubon Christmas Bird Count for data on about 55 species found in boreal forests and the Arctic tundra, and on the International Shorebird Survey for trends in shorebirds such as sandpipers and plovers. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Three billion North American birds have vanished since 1970, surveys show," 19 Sep. 2019 Also sighted last week were several hundred semipalmated and least sandpipers, as well as 35 seaside sparrows and 48 saltmarsh sparrows which were tallied as part of an official shorebird survey. — BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings across the region," 11 Aug. 2019 Experts investigate the cause Approximately 30 ducks and four sandpipers died as of Friday, said Anne Justice-Allen, a veterinarian with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. — Serena O'sullivan, azcentral, "Experts try to figure out why more than 30 ducks died at Maricopa lake," 8 Aug. 2019 There was also a whimbrel and a pectoral sandpiper seen last week. — BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings," 4 Aug. 2019 In this May 22, 2018 photo, ruddy turnstones, larger birds, and semipalmated sandpipers walk near the shoreline at Kimbles Beach, Middle Township NJ. — Washington Post, "Bird flu hot spot: Scientists track virus in huge migration," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sandpiper.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

1 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Sandpiper.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sandpiper. Accessed 27 January 2020.

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