General: Sexes similar. 10 to 11 inches in length.

Adult Alternate: Reddish or rufuous face, throat, breast, and underparts. Dark brown upperparts with pale-buff feather edges. Its back appears "scaled" with black. Grayish wing stripe. Dark rump, and tail. Dark greenish legs. Dark, straight, slightly tapered bill.

Adult Basic: Grayish upperparts and breast. White belly with irregular gray markings along flanks. White supercilium and dark eyeline. Dark greenish legs. Dark, straight, slightly tapered bill.

Juvenile: Similar to adult basic, except the back and wings have a "scaly" look created by fine black and white edges on its back and wing coverts.

Tidal flats, rocky shores, and beaches during migration. Breeds on tundra.

Nesting

4 olive-buff eggs marked with brown spots. The eggs have a 21-23 day incubation period. Fledging occurs in 18-20 days. The nest is a ground depression lined with lichens.