The Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska is not far from the Arctic Ocean. During the spring, the songs of many shorebirds can be heard throughout the area. The male Semipalmated Sandpiper begins its vocalization as it takes flight from a perch. The vocalization is repetitive, like the sound of a motorboat. Tiny wingbeats allow the Semipalmated Sandpiper to stay almost stationary above the tundra landscape as it calls.