The family Scolopacidae includes 65 species found in North America.

Sandpipers, Snipe, Stints, Godwits, Dowitchers, Curlews, Whimbrel, Yellowlegs, Redshanks, Greenshanks, Knots, Surfbird, Phalaropes.

The sandpipers, snipe and allies occur worldwide, mainly in aquatic and marine habitats, some in moist woodland, grasslands or swamps. Size varies from 12-60 cm, but many have long, slender bills that make up a large portion of the length. Bills vary from the short, slender bills of most sandpipers to the long, decurved bills of curlews and long straight bills of godwits. The bill has sensory pits at the tip with which the bird can detect and evaluate objects when probing in mud, sand or soil. 

Food varies, but is mainly animal. Nests are usually on the ground, often concealed by vegetation. Eggs usually 4, in some 2-3. Eggs are cryptically colored, whitish with brown and black markings. In most species both sexes incubate and incubation begins with the last egg, so young hatch simultaneously. Downy chicks leave the nest within a day after hatching and feed themselves.