A summer at the beach continues to be a favored American pastime - and one which is doable during the time of covid. But even with social distancing we are not alone on the beach!  Of course, there are various species of gulls whose presence is unmistakable. But there are also lots of other birds who are nesting on and migrating through east and west coast American beaches. 

American Oystercatcher Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel

Many, having nested in the northern reaches of the tundra in Canada or Alaska, are on their way south, feeding on shorelines to keep their energy and body weight up for the many thousands of miles yet to fly. 

Shorebirds come in varying shapes and sizes. There are many different species of sandpipers, plovers and other shorebirds - some small and brown, some shockingly elegant in color or beak shape. These are some of the toughest and longest distance fliers among bird species - some like Red Knots - weighing in at less than 5 ounces - travel 19,000 miles roundtrip every year. And there are reports of Whimbrels, which are very large shorebirds, having been known to fly straight through the eye of a hurricane at high altitude. 

Right now the shorebird species seen on North American beaches are changing as they finish nesting and migrate south.  Here are four birds you may find on your beach this time of year and which you can easily identify: