Least Concern

A small, compact shorebird, about 20–22 cm in length; in breeding plumage, adults have a rich reddish-brown body, gray head, and yellow bill. Non-breeding plumage is pale gray and white.

Breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia; highly migratory.

Winters at sea, mainly in the tropical and subtropical oceans of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Occasionally seen off the coasts of South Asia during migration.

June to August, coinciding with the short Arctic summer.

Tundra wetlands, especially shallow pools and marshy areas near the coast or inland. Females are more brightly colored and males incubate the eggs.

During non-breeding, almost entirely pelagic, spending most of the year far offshore; during breeding, prefers Arctic tundra pools and marshes.

Feeds mainly on aquatic invertebrates, such as crustaceans, insect larvae, and zooplankton; often spins in circles on water to create vortices that bring prey to the surface.