Diet

• Primarily aquatic insects and their larvae, small fish, crustaceans, shrimp, crabs, snails, marine worms, and other aquatic invertebrates.

• Also feeds on tadpoles, small frogs, and occasionally seeds of aquatic plants.

• Forages by walking through shallow water, probing mud with its slightly upturned bill, and actively chasing small fish.

Range

• Breeds in the boreal forests and wetlands of Alaska and Canada.

• Winters from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and much of South America.

• A common winter visitor to the Zihuatanejo region, where it inhabits estuaries, coastal lagoons, mudflats, marshes, mangroves, flooded fields, ponds, and shallow freshwater wetlands.

• Most abundant from August through May during migration and winter.

Male / Female

• Male: Gray-brown upperparts with white spotting, white underparts, long bright yellow legs, and a long, slightly upturned dark bill. Breeding birds show heavier dark streaking on the neck and breast. Slightly smaller with a shorter bill.

• Female: Similar in plumage but generally larger, with a noticeably longer and heavier bill.

• Non-breeding adults: Both sexes are grey above and white below with reduced streaking, making them difficult to distinguish except by size.

• Sexes are best separated by bill length and overall size, with females averaging larger.

Size

• Length: 29–37 cm (11.4–14.6 in)

• Wingspan: 59–72 cm (23–28 in)

• Weight: 111–250 g (3.9–8.8 oz)