White-rumped Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpipers are migrating through Arkansas right now on their journey from southern South America to their breeding grounds in the northern tundra of Canada and Alaska. According to All About Birds, they actually make one of the longest migrations of any North American bird, sometimes flying 2,500 miles without a rest. The trip takes about a month.
I’ve been seeing reports of this medium-sized shorebird on eBird and birder chat groups for weeks now, but Monday marked the first time I have seen one (or at least successfully identified what I saw). Their size and coloring actually allow them to blend in pretty well – at least when I’m searching for them.