A Rest Stop on a 3,000-Mile Journey

Hi, my name is Izabella. I am a young wildlife ambassador, and I studied sandpipers.

At first, a sandpiper might look like just a little brown bird running along the edge of the water.

But the more I learned about them, the more amazing they became.

Some sandpipers travel thousands of miles every year. They cross beaches, wetlands, bays, and even countries just to find food, rest, and eventually reach the places where they raise their babies.

For such tiny birds, that is a very big journey!

What Is a Sandpiper?

“Sandpiper” is not just one kind of bird. It is a name we use for a large group of shorebirds.

Some have short bills. Some have long bills. Some run back and forth with the waves. Others carefully poke their bills into mud looking for food.

Sandpipers eat tiny animals such as worms, insects, small crustaceans, and other creatures hidden in wet sand and mud.

That is why mudflats, beaches, salt marshes, and shallow wetlands are so important to them.

A muddy beach might not look very exciting to us.

But to a hungry sandpiper?

It can be a restaurant!

How Are Sandpipers Doing Today?

Because there are many kinds of sandpipers, there is not one population number for all of them.

Some species are doing better than others. Unfortunately, many shorebirds are declining.

One example is the Semipalmated Sandpiper, a tiny bird that migrates along the Atlantic Coast. Scientists estimate that there are about 2.3 million Semipalmated Sandpipers in the global breeding population, but the species has lost more than half of its population during the past 50 years. In the 2025 State of the Birds report, it was listed as an “Orange Alert” species because of its decline.

Two million may sound like a lot.

But imagine having a classroom of 30 students and suddenly more than 15 of them disappeared.

You would notice.

That is why scientists pay attention when bird populations begin dropping.

Sandpipers in Our Neighborhood

We do not have to travel to another country to see migrating shorebirds.

We can find them right here around New York City and Jamaica Bay.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge contains more than 12,600 acres of water, salt marshes, ponds, fields, woods, islands, and open bay. The National Park Service says thousands of waterbirds, land birds, and shorebirds stop there during migration.

That means Jamaica Bay can work almost like a rest stop on a bird highway.

Imagine flying hundreds of miles.

You are tired.

You are hungry.

Then you finally see a safe wetland below.

You land.

You eat.

You rest.

Then you continue your journey.

That is what places like Jamaica Bay can mean to a migrating bird.

Sandpipers and Horseshoe Crabs: An Amazing Connection

This is one of my favorite things I learned.

Sandpipers and horseshoe crabs are connected.

Every spring, horseshoe crabs crawl onto beaches along the Atlantic Coast and bury thousands of tiny eggs in the sand. Some of those eggs become exposed near the surface.

And guess who arrives hungry?

Migrating shorebirds!

Semipalmated Sandpipers, Dunlins, Red Knots, Ruddy Turnstones, and other shorebirds eat horseshoe crab eggs during migration. These protein-rich eggs give birds important energy for the next part of their journey.

Think about it:

A horseshoe crab laying eggs on a beach can help a tiny bird continue a journey that may stretch for thousands of miles.

One animal is helping another animal without even knowing it.

That is an ecosystem.

And This Happens in Brooklyn!

This connection is especially exciting because horseshoe crabs come to Plumb Beach in Brooklyn.

The National Park Service reports that nearly 3,000 horseshoe crabs gather at Plumb Beach each year, mostly from late May through mid-June, to spawn. Their eggs are an important food source for migratory shorebirds traveling north toward their breeding grounds.

So when we protect horseshoe crabs, we may also be helping birds.

And when we protect the beach, we may be protecting both of them at the same time.

This taught me something important:

Nature is full of connections that we may not notice at first.

Why Are Sandpipers in Trouble?

Sandpipers need safe places to stop during migration.

But beaches and wetlands are also places that people like to use and build near.

Shorebirds can be affected when wetlands disappear, beaches are changed, pollution enters the water, or people and pets repeatedly disturb birds while they are trying to feed and rest. Sanderlings, for example, are affected by the development and alteration of sandy shoreline habitats.

Being scared away once may not seem like a big problem.

But imagine trying to eat lunch while someone makes you run away every two minutes.

Now imagine you have to fly another 1,000 miles afterward!

For a migrating bird, resting and eating are part of survival.

Are People Helping?

Yes!

Scientists, park rangers, volunteers, conservation groups, and communities are working to protect shorebirds and the places they need.

Around Jamaica Bay, the National Park Service protects sensitive habitats and works to restore marshes and shorelines. Horseshoe crab harvesting is prohibited in and around Jamaica Bay because the crabs play such an important role in the ecosystem.

Other restoration projects along the Atlantic Coast are rebuilding beaches that work better for horseshoe crab spawning. That can mean more horseshoe crab eggs—and more food for migrating shorebirds.

So protecting one species can sometimes help many others.

What Can Kids Do?

Kids can help too!

• Watch shorebirds from a distance instead of chasing them.

• Give feeding and resting birds plenty of space.

• Keep beaches and wetlands clean.

• Never leave plastic, fishing line, or trash behind.

• Respect signs and protected wildlife areas.

• Do not disturb horseshoe crabs while they are spawning.

• Learn the names of birds that visit your neighborhood.

• Bring binoculars, a sketchbook, or a camera and observe instead of disturbing.

• Tell your friends and family what you have learned.

• Draw, write, make videos, or create art that helps other people care about wildlife.

You do not have to be an adult scientist to protect nature.

Sometimes helping begins with knowing what you are looking at.

A Tiny Bird Can Teach Us Something Big

Before studying sandpipers, I might have looked at a group of little birds running along the water and simply said:

“Birds.”

Now I look closer.

I wonder where they came from.

I wonder where they are going.

I wonder how far they have already flown.

And I wonder if they found enough food before continuing their journey.

I also know that somewhere nearby, a horseshoe crab, a mudflat, a tiny worm, a salt marsh, and a little bird may all be connected.

That is why I think sandpipers are worth protecting.

The next time you see a tiny bird running along the shore, do not just walk past it.

Stop. Look closely. Give it some space.

It might be in the middle of one of the biggest journeys of its life.