Spoon-billed Sandpiper

One of the most curious members of the group is the diminutive Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmceus), so called from the fact that the bill is widely expanded and spoon-shaped at the tip, the width of the flattened portion being nearly half an inch. The plumage is blackish, the feathers margined with rufous above, with the sides of the head, neck, and breast rusty red, while the remaining under parts are white, the lower breast black-spotted; its length is but six inches. Beyond the fact that it is found in company with other Sandpipers along muddy beaches where it secures its food, very little is known of its habits; its nest and eggs are unknown.