Cuban Charadriiformes - Shorebirds

The birds in this order live near or on the water and they range in size from small to large.

There are 34 species in this order of birds found in Cuba. Some species are year-round residents and others winter in Cuba. Species include the piping plover, the killdeer. the least tern, the Caspian tern, and the ruddy turnstone.

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Cuban Charadriiformes - Shorebirds

Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in the Wild Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Introduced Breeds in NH (Birds)
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

Location
Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North America South America NH Click for More Info Click for Image

Species	Sounds	Occurrence
Black-bellied Plover-Pluvialis squatarola		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Bernabe Lopez-Lanus
Wilson's Plover - Charadrius wilsonia		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Andrew Spencer
Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Allen T. Chartier
Piping Plover - Charadrius melodus		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Ian Davies
Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Todd Mark
American Oystercatcher -  Haematopus palliatus		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org  Bernabe Lopez-Lanus
Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Myriam Velazquez
Northern Jacana - Jacana spinosa		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Doug Knapp
Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Julian Quillen Vidoz
Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Juan Mazar Barnett
Greater Yellowlegs -Tringa melanoleuca		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Ricardo Gagliardi
Willet -Tringa semipalmatus		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Andrew Spencer
Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Fernando Jacobs
Ruddy Turnstone-Arenaria interpres		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Volker Arnold
Sanderling -Calidris alba		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Fernando Jacobs
Semipalmated Sandpiper -Calidris pusilla		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Daniel Lane
Least Sandpiper -Calidris minutilla		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Andrew Spencer
Stilt Sandpiper - Calidris himantopus		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Doug Hynes
Short-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus griseus		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Doug Hynes
Bonaparte's Gull - Larus philadelphia		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Paul Driver
Laughing Gull - Larus atricilla		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Ian Davies
Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Allen T. Chartier
American herring gull - Larus smithsonianus		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Stuart Fisher
Sooty Tern - Sterna fuscata		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org David M.
Bridled Tern - Sterna anaethetus		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Charlie Vogt
Least Tern - Sternula antillarum		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Bernabe Lopez-Lanus
Gull-billed Tern - Sterna nilotica		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Mayron McKewy Mejía
Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Andrew Spencer
Roseate Tern - Sterna dougallii		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Ross Ahmed
Common Tern -Sterna hirundo		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Paul Driver
Forster's Tern - Sterna forsteri		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Chris Parrish
Royal Tern - Thalasseus maximus		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Bernabe Lopez-Lanus
Sandwich Tern - Sterna sandvicensis		Year-round
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org David Farrow
Pomarine Jaeger -Stercorarius pomarinus		Non-breeding
	Audio Credit: xeno-canto.org Lauri Hallikainen

Additional Information

Key: Profile Photos Video Audio

Wilson's Plover - Charadrius wilsonia
The Wilson's plover is found along the Atlantic Coast from Delaware south to Florida and along the Gulf Coast. It is also found along the Pacific and Atlantic coast of Mexico, Central America, and South America and in the Caribbean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus
The semipalmated plover breeds from Alaska to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. It winters along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from California and the Carolinas south to the Gulf Coast, Central America, the Caribbean and South America.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus
The semipalmated plover is very territorial during mating season and often flies a few feet over its territory to warn other plovers away. 
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Semipalmated Plover - Charadrius semipalmatus
The semipalmated plover breeds on sandy or mossy tundra. During migration and in the winter, it is found on mudflats, salt marshes, and lakeshores.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Piping Plover - Charadrius melodus
The piping plover breeds on the northern Great Plains from Alberta, Canada south, along the northern Great Lakes, and along the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to North Carolina. It winters on the Gulf coast, the Caribbean, and the southern Atlantic coast north to North Carolina. The piping plover is a threatened species in the United States and an endangered species in New Hampshire.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Piping Plover - Charadrius melodus
The piping plover is found on sandy beaches on the coast and in dry, sandy areas inland.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Killdeer - Charadrius vociferus
The killdeer is found from Alaska to Newfoundland south throughout the United States and into Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American Oystercatcher -  Haematopus palliatus
The American oystercatcher is found along the Atlantic Coast from southern New England south to South America. It is also found in the Gulf Coast and on the Pacific Coast north to Southern California.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American Oystercatcher -  Haematopus palliatus
The American oystercatcher is the largest shorebird in the Americas.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus   
In the U.S., the black-necked stilt breeds in the western U.S., along the Gulf Coast, and along the Atlantic Coast from Maryland to Florida. It is also found in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Black-necked Stilt - Himantopus mexicanus   
The black-necked stilt has long pink legs and a long pointed black bill.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Northern Jacana - Jacana spinosa
The northern jacana is found in BMexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Internet Bird Collection Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Northern Jacana - Jacana spinosa
Female northern jacanas mate with up to four individual males and lay eggs as frequently as every nine days.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius  
The spotted sandpiper breeds across most of Canada and the United States, including New Hampshire. It winters along the the Pacific Coast in the west. In the east, it winters along the Atlantic Coast of the southern United States south to South America.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Spotted Sandpiper - Actitis macularius  
The spotted sandpiper is sometimes called the "teeter-tail" because of the way it bobs its rump up and down as it probes for food.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria  
The solitary sandpiper breeds across Alaska and Canada. It migrates along the Atlantic Coast and the interior of the United States. It winters from southern Texas south to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. The solitary sandpiper is truly solitary - it migrates alone, not in flocks.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Solitary Sandpiper - Tringa solitaria  
The solitary sandpiper and the green sandpiper of Eurasia are the only species of sandpipers that nest in trees.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Greater Yellowlegs -Tringa melanoleuca  
The greater yellowlegs breeds from south-central Alaska east to Newfoundland. It winters on the Pacific coast from Washington south, on the Atlantic coast from Virginia south, along the Gulf Coast, and in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Greater Yellowlegs -Tringa melanoleuca  
The greater yellowlegs wades through the shallow water with its long legs, sweeps its head back and forth, and skims up small fish and aquatic animals in its turned up bill.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Willet -Tringa semipalmatus
The willet is found along the Atlantic Coast from Nova Scotia south to South America and along the Pacific Coast from Washington to South America. It also breeds in the interior of Canada and the U.S. from Alberta east to Manitoba and south to California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Willet -Tringa semipalmatus
Willets are very territorial and aggressively defend their nesting and feeding territory. 
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes
The lesser yellowlegs breeds across Alaska and northern Canada eastward to western Quebec and it winters in the southern United States southward to southern South America and northward along the coasts to southern central California and New Jersey .
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes
The lesser yellowlegs is a relatively tame bird and will allow intruders to approach at close distances.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes
The lesser yellowlegs spends the breeding season in grassy meadows, bogs, burned out forest areas, and other open areas or natural clearings. 
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres  
The ruddy turnstone is found on shorelines around the world. It breeds along the coastline from western Alaska east to Greenland. The ruddy turnstone also breeds in arctic regions of Europe and Asia. In the Western Hemisphere, it winters along the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts from Oregon and Connecticut south to South America. It also winters on the Gulf Coast and in the Caribbean.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sanderling - Calidris alba
The sanderling breeds on the high arctic tundra of Alaska and northern Canada. It winters along the coast from British Columbia and Massachusetts south to South America. It is also found in Europe and Asia.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sanderling - Calidris alba
Small groups of sanderlings can often be  seen on beaches scurrying after waves as they roll back out to sea. They are actually looking for tiny crustaceans and mollusks exposed by the retreating water.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sanderling - Calidris alba
During breeding season, the sanderling lives on the tundra, usually near a freshwater source like a lake or pond. In the winter, it can be found on beaches; sandbars; mudflats; and pond, lake, and river shores.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Semipalmated Sandpiper -Calidris pusilla
The semipalmated sandpiper breeds in northern Alaska and Canada south to the Hudson Bay. It migrates through the eastern and central states and winters in South America and the Caribbean.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Semipalmated Sandpiper -Calidris pusilla
Semipalmated means half-webbed. The semipalmated sandpiper's toes are actually only slightly webbed, just enough to help them walk on the mud without sinking.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Semipalmated Sandpiper -Calidris pusilla
During migration, thousands of semipalmated sandpipers can gather to rest and feed on shores.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Least Sandpiper -Calidris minutilla
The least sandpiper breeds from Alaska east to Newfoundland, Canada. It winters along the Pacific Coast from California south to South America and on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey south to South America. It is also found in inland areas in the Southeast and the Southwest. 
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Stilt Sandpiper - Calidris himantopus
The stilt sandpiper breeds on the Arctic tundra of Alaska and Canada and winters in Texas, Florida, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Short-billed Dowitcher - Limnodromus griseus
The short-billed dowitcher breeds in Alaska and Canada and winters along the Atlantic Coast from Maryland to South America, along the Gulf Coast into Central America and South America and along the Pacific Coast from California to South America.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bonaparte's Gull - Larus philadelphia
Bonaparte's gull breeds in Alaska and Canada. It winters in the Caribbean, in the Gulf Coast, in Mexico, and along the Great Lakes.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bonaparte's Gull - Larus philadelphia
Bonaparte's gull is the only gull that nests in trees. 
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bonaparte's Gull - Larus philadelphia
Bonaparte's gull eats small fish, crustaceans, snails, and marine worms. 
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Laughing Gull - Larus atricilla
The laughing gull breeds along the Atlantic Coast from Canada south to Florida and the Caribbean and along the Gulf Coast. It winters from Virginia south to South America and along the Gulf Coast, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The laughing gull is rarely found inland, and usually it is not found far out at sea.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Laughing Gull - Larus atricilla
The laughing gull gets it name for its loud and high-pitched "ha ha ha ha ha ha" laughing call. 
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Laughing Gull - Larus atricilla
The laughing gull is a social bird and hunts, rests, nests, and migrates in groups.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis
The ring-billed gull breeds in the Northwest from the prairies of Canada south to California. It is also found in the Great Lakes region, the Canadian Maritimes, and northern New England. It winters from southern New England south to Cuba, from the Great Lakes south to the Gulf of Mexico, and from British Columbia south to Mexico.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Ring-billed Gull - Larus delawarensis
The ring-billed gull eats insects, seeds, grain, fish, and garbage. It is sometimes called the "fast food gull" because it often hangs around fast food restaurants scavenging for food.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American herring gull - Larus smithsonianus
In North American, the American herring gull breeds across Alaska and northern Canada, south to the Great Lakes and along the Atlantic Coast south to North Carolina. It winters from southern Alaska south to Mexico and from the Great Lakes and Massachusetts south to the Caribbean and Central America.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American herring gull - Larus smithsonianus
The American herring gull is one species of bird that has adapted very well to human activity. It scavenges for food around dumpsters, garbage dumps, restaurant parking lots, and fishing harbors.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

American herring gull - Larus smithsonianus
The Herring gull is found on islands, beaches, mudflats, fields, meadows, golf courses, beside lakes and rivers, in the grassy areas of airports, and in garbage dumps.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sooty Tern - Sterna fuscata
The sooty tern is found in tropical oceans around the world and breeds on islands around the equator
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sooty Tern - Sterna fuscata
The sooty tern rarely lands on the water to catch food. It has poor oil glands and its feathers can become waterlogged if they get too wet.
Source: Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Bridled Tern - Sterna anaethetus
The bridled tern is found on tropical oceans around the world and breeds on the coasts of Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, southeast Asia, and Australia and surrounding islands.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Least Tern - Sternula antillarum
The least tern breeds along the Atlantic Coast from Maine south to Florida and along the Gulf Coast south to Mexico. It also breeds along the Pacific Coast from California south to Mexico. It also breeds in isolated areas inland along the Missouri, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers inland to Montana, Kentucky, and Missouri. It is also found in scattered areas in New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, and Nebraska. It winters along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts south to Mexico. The least tern is also found in Central America and the Caribbean. The least tern is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is an state endangered species in New Hampshire. There are records of the least tern breeding in New Hampshire in Seabrook between 1953 and 1960, but the least tern has been considered a non-breeding species in New Hampshire since 1980.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Least Tern - Sternula antillarum
The least tern is found on sandy and pebbly beaches and on sandbars in large rivers.
Source: National Audubon SocietyIntended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Gull-billed Tern - Sterna nilotica
The gull-billed tern is found along the Atlantic Coast from New York to South America. It is also found in the Gulf Coast and along the Pacific Coast from Mexico to South America. It is also found in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia and surrounding islands.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Gull-billed Tern - Sterna nilotica
The gull-billed tern breeds on gravelly or sandy beaches. 
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia  
The Caspian tern breeds in scattered areas along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts; along the Great Lakes; in the west-central United State; and in central Canada. It winters along the Pacific Coast from southern California south to Guatemala, and along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from North Carolina south to the Caribbean and along the Gulf Coast south to Mexico. It is also found in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia  
The Caspian tern is very aggressive when protecting its breeding grounds. It chases and even attacks other birds that enter its area. It will even peck the heads of people that wander into its territory.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Caspian Tern - Hydroprogne caspia  
The Caspian tern breeds in salt marshes, barrier islands, lake islands, and river islands. It winters along coastlines, rivers, and lakes.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Roseate Tern - Sterna dougallii
The roseate tern breeds along the Atlantic Coast from Nova Scotia, Canada south to New York. It also breeds in the Florida Keys. It winters along the coast of South America. It is also found in the Caribbean, Europe, the Indian Ocean, South Africa, and Western Australia. 
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Roseate Tern - Sterna dougallii
In New Hampshire, the roseate tern breeds on the Isles of Shoals. They return to the islands in April and May. 
Source: NH Fish and Game Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Roseate Tern - Sterna dougallii
The roseate tern breeds on rocky, coastal islands; barrier beaches; and salt marsh islands. It winters offshore or along coasts.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Tern - Sterna hirundo 
The common tern breeds from Alberta, Canada east to Labrador, Canada and south to Montana, the Great Lakes and the Atlantic coast. It winters from Florida south to the Caribbean and South America. The common tern is also found in Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia. 
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Tern - Sterna hirundo
In New Hampshire, the roseate tern breeds on the Isles of Shoals. They return to the islands in April and May. 
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Common Tern - Sterna hirundo
The common tern population has been declining due to habitat loss and nest disturbance. Their nests are often difficult to see on beaches and their eggs can be easily destroyed by people stepping on the them.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Forster's Tern - Sterna forsteri
Forster's tern is found along the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts south to Florida, on the California coast, on the Gulf Coast, along the Great Lakes, and in scattered locations in Nevada, southern Idaho, Utah, Colorado, the Midwest, and south central Canada. It winters along the Pacific Coast south to Central America and along the Atlantic Coast from Virginia south to the Caribbean.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Forster's Tern - Sterna forsteri  
Forster's tern is the only tern species that is found only in North America.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Forster's Tern - Sterna forsteri  
Forster's tern eats small fish. It flies over the water and then dives below the surface to snatch up its prey. It also eats insects from the surface of the water.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Royal Tern - Thalasseus maximus  
The royal tern breeds along the Atlantic Coast from Maryland to Florida, and along Gulf Coast to northern Mexico. It sometimes wanders further north. It also breeds in southern California and western Mexico. It winters on the Pacific Coast from southern California to Peru, and along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from North Carolina southward to northern South America and throughout the Caribbean. It is also found along the coast of western Africa.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Royal Tern - Thalasseus maximus  
The royal tern is found on sandy beaches, harbors, estuaries, and waters near the coast.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sandwich Tern - Sterna sandvicensis
The sandwich tern is found from Virginia south to South America, including on the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, and on both the Atlantic and Pacific Coast of Central America and northern South America.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Sandwich Tern - Sterna sandvicensis
The sandwich tern is found in a variety of habitats including sandy or rocky beaches, ocean cliff sides, estuaries, and large inland lakes.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pomarine Jaeger -Stercorarius pomarinus
The pomarine jaeger is a seabird that nests on the Arctic tundra and winters in warm ocean waters off the coasts of North America, Central America, the Caribbbean, Africa, Asia, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School