Weskeag Marsh, South Thomaston, Maine, August 2012

This is the smallest shorebird, even smaller than the diminutive Semipalmated sandpiper. As seen in this photo taken at Weskeag, it is chunky with a very slight droop in the bill. The Least has beautiful reddish-brown upper parts and is a gem among shorebirds. This juvenile has uniform fresh (non-worn) plumage. Least sandpipers breed in the arctic and sub-arctic, wintering from southern New Jersey to Florida.