Spotted Sandpiper

The Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularius, is a small and sprightly shorebird, easily recognized by its brown upperparts and white underparts adorned with distinctive black spots during the breeding season. These spots, which can indicate the bird's health, are most pronounced in females and tend to diminish in size and become more irregular with age. The species exhibits a white supercilium and has short yellowish legs paired with an orange bill that features a dark tip.

Identification Tips

Adult Spotted Sandpipers can be identified by their unique plumage and behavior. Look for the all-brown back and tail, lacking the black found in many other sandpipers, and the white edges along the wings. In flight, their wing pattern appears somewhat washed out compared to their Eurasian counterpart, the Common Sandpiper. Their legs are typically light yellow, and they exhibit a characteristic bobbing walk, with their tails rhythmically moving up and down.

Habitat

These birds favor breeding habitats near freshwater across North America, often selecting sites with some vegetative cover. They are not social birds and are rarely seen in flocks.

Distribution

Spotted Sandpipers breed throughout most of Canada and the United States. They are migratory, wintering in the southern United States, the Caribbean, and South America. They are also rare vagrants to western Europe.

Behaviour

The Spotted Sandpiper is known for its polyandrous breeding system, where females may mate with multiple males and leave the incubation to them. Males dutifully care for the eggs and chicks, with incubation lasting about 20-23 days. The species is also known for its distinctive stiff-winged flight just above the water's surface.

Song & Calls

The Spotted Sandpiper's vocalizations include a series of sharp, whistled notes. Their calls are often heard during flight or when the birds are agitated.

Breeding

Females typically establish territories before males and may use successful breeding sites repeatedly. Males may father chicks from multiple clutches due to sperm storage within the female reproductive tract. Testosterone levels are notably higher in males during the pre-incubation period and in mated females compared to unmated ones.

Diet and Feeding

These sandpipers forage on the ground or in shallow water, visually picking up food items such as insects, crustaceans, other invertebrates, small fish, and occasionally carrion. They are also known to catch insects mid-flight.

Predators

Eggs and chicks of the Spotted Sandpiper are preyed upon by raptors, mustelids, mice, and gulls.

Conservation status

The Spotted Sandpiper is currently classified as Least Concern, although there has been a noted population decline. Habitat destruction and climate change pose significant threats to their breeding success and overall numbers.

Similar Species

The Spotted Sandpiper can be confused with the Common Sandpiper but can be distinguished by its wing pattern and leg coloration.

Etymology

The genus name Actitis is derived from Ancient Greek, meaning "coast-dweller," while the specific epithet macularius is Latin for "spotted," aptly describing this bird's breeding plumage.