Actitis macularius
The Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) is a charismatic small shorebird, instantly recognizable by its incessant "teetering" or tail-bobbing motion, a behavior it shares with its Old World counterpart, the Common Sandpiper. Measuring approximately 18-20 cm (7-8 inches) in length with a wingspan of 37-40 cm (14.5-16 inches) and weighing 20-50 grams (0.7-1.8 ounces), this species exhibits olive-brown upperparts and pristine white underparts. During the breeding season, adults develop striki...
Spotted Sandpipers prefer open, shallow freshwater and brackish aquatic habitats, including riverbanks, lake shores, ponds, streams, estuaries, and coastal beaches, typically at low to moderate elevations but can be found along alpine streams.
Their diet primarily consists of a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial insects, including flies, beetles, crickets, and spiders, supplemented with small crustaceans, mollusks, and occasionally tiny fish, foraged by gleaning, probing, and aerial hawking.
Primarily diurnal, Spotted Sandpipers are also known to forage at dawn, dusk, and even on moonlit nights, often roosting inconspicuously along sheltered shorelines. Their foraging strategy involves actively walking along the water's edge, pecking at the surface or probing shallowly for prey, and ...
The Spotted Sandpiper boasts an extensive geographic distribution across the Americas. Its breeding range spans almost the entirety of North America, from Alaska and northern Canada south through most of the continental United States, even extending into parts of Mexico at higher elevations. Foll...
Least Concern
- The Spotted Sandpiper is one of the few bird species globally that exhibits polyandry, where a female mates with and lays eggs for multiple males. - Its distinctive "teetering" or bobbing tail motion is continuous, even when standing still, earning it nicknames like "teeter-tail" and "tilt-up. ...