A shorebird is any bird that lives and feeds along the edges of oceans, lakes, or rivers. Many of these birds have special features for life at the water's edge: long legs for wading through shallow water, and often long, thin beaks perfect for probing mud and sand for worms, crabs, and small shellfish.

You've probably seen shorebirds if you've visited a beach. Sandpipers scurry along the surf on quick legs, racing the waves. Plovers patrol the sand looking for insects. Each species has its own hunting strategy and preferred spot along the shore.

Many shorebirds are remarkable travelers. Arctic terns migrate from the Arctic to Antarctica and back each year, a journey of over 40,000 miles. The bar-tailed godwit flies nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand, crossing 7,000 miles of ocean without rest. These epic journeys make shorebirds some of the greatest travelers in the animal kingdom.

Common shorebirds include sandpipers, plovers, and curlews. While seabird often refers to birds that spend most of their time flying over the open ocean (like albatrosses), shorebirds stay close to land, working the productive zone where water meets earth.