
Habitat
Breeds from coast to uplands in subarctic and low-arctic (Bent 1927, Holmes 1971a) in proximity to wetlands for feeding and elevated areas for nesting. Habitat is typically dominated by dwarf birch, dwarf willow, crowberry, ericaceous shrubs, tussock grasses, and bryophytes (Wilson 1994).
References
Bent, A. C. 1927. Life histories of North American shorebirds (Part 1). Bull. U. S. Natl. Mus. No. 142.
Holmes, R. T. 1971a. Density, habitat, and the mating system of the Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri). Oecologia 7:191-208.
Wilson, W. H. 1994. Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri). In The Birds of North America, No. 90 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists’ Union.