Stilt Sandpiper is a medium-sized shorebird that passes through Arizona during spring and fall migration. Adults measure 7.5–8.7 inches in length, span 18.5–20.1 inches across the wings, and weigh 1.6–2.2 ounces; they sport long, thin greenish legs, a slightly decurved bill, a bold white supercilium against a dark crown, and heavily barred underparts. In Arizona, Stilt Sandpipers are regular migrants at freshwater wetlands, flooded agricultural fields, and shallow mudflats—most often seen at hotspots like Whitewater Draw and the Willcox Playa/Cochise Lake area—where they wade belly-deep, probing for aquatic invertebrates and often associating with dowitchers and yellowlegs. Although they do not breed in the state, their graceful silhouette and striking plumage make them one of the most elegant shorebird highlights for Arizona birders during migration.
