It eats aquatic insects, small aquatic organisms and vegetation as it wades at the water's edge. They nests across northern Canada and throughout Alaska, and are one of the more common shorebirds seen in winter on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts. The semipalmated plover lives on the shorelines of lakes and rivers, flooded fields and mudflats. Charadrius semipalmatus. Preferred Habitat: Beaches and mudflats.. July 16, 2020 – A little over a month ago a flock of eight very small shorebirds stopped at a flooded field south of Kankakee for about three days to rebuild their fat reserves and rest. This bird completely lacks white in the gape, and the bill is relatively slender and longish. Semipalmated Plover. The Semipalmated Plover is the most common of the small plovers that migrate through the state. Semipalmated Plover: Finnish: kanadantylli: French: ... Each species account is written by leading ornithologists and provides detailed information on bird distribution, migration, habitat, diet, sounds, behavior, breeding, current population status, and conservation. Small and plain in appearance, this sandpiper is important in terms of sheer numbers. The bird is dark above, with bright orange legs. The profile of Semipalmated Plover show its’ dark cheek and fine orange eye-ring and the stout looking short, orange and black bill. There is often at least some orange at the bill base, and extensive orange during the breeding season. Juvenile Semipalmated Plover. This map depicts the seasonally-averaged estimated relative abundance, defined as the expected count on an eBird Traveling Count starting at the optimal time of day with the optimal search duration and distance that maximizes detection of that species in a region, averaged across the pre-breeding migration season. Semipalmated Plovers are easily identified, small shorebirds found in Tennessee during migration. by Helena Ives Where and when to find them: Semipalmated Plovers have recently reappeared on Connecticut beaches, right on time at the beginning of their fall migration. Seasonal Occurrence: Common fall through spring.Lesser numbers in the summer. Semipalmated Sandpipers winter mostly in South America, and studies have shown that they may make a non-stop flight of nearly 2000 miles from New England or eastern Canada to the South American coast. This bird will run short distances and then stop, repeating the process as it moves along. Family: (Charadriidae) Plovers and Lapwings. Charadrius semipalmatus. The Semipalmated Plover is widespread and common, breeding across much of subarctic boreal North America, and wintering on coastal beaches across the Western Hemisphere. The semipalmated plover is one of the few species of small plovers in North America that show a single breast band. The name "Semipalmated" refers to the partial webbing found between the bird's toes. Notes by Richard Gibbons: The Semipalmated Plover is a small shorebird with a short stubby bill, round head, and orange legs.This plover has a single dark complete breast band. It often gathers by the thousands at stopover points during migration.