Shoot Me Monday

This Solitary Sandpiper has been present for the past few months at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson, AZ.  They are very rare in Southeast Arizona after the first week of October, with only a couple records from late October and December.  The Solitary Sandpiper is a rule breaker.  Although it is not truly solitary, it does not migrate in large flocks like most shorebirds.  It does not nest on the ground like most shorebirds either.  Instead, it lays its eggs in the tree nests of several different songbirds.  The only other sandpiper in the world that is known to do this is the Green Sandpiper of Eurasia.  Have a fantastic week! 

InfoNatura: Animals and Ecosystems of Latin America [web application]. 2007. Version 5.0 . Arlington, Virginia (USA): NatureServe. Available: http://www.natureserve.org/infonatura. (Accessed: November 28, 2011 ).