Is the bird in the photo a dunlin? No, the bill is too short, but you’re looking at the same family. Is it a sandpiper? No. Again the bill is too short and it doesn’t curve. Yes, it sure does look ...

Cuteness aside, though, sandpipers are pretty confusing, because "sandpiper" is both a species name and the colloquial name for the Scolopacidae family of birds. There are dozens of Scolopacidae ...