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Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularia
At-a-Glance
• Peak Breeding Activity: May-August
• Incubation: 19-22 days
• Clutch Size: 4 eggs
• Young Fledge: 17-21 days after hatching
• Typical Foods: aquatic invertebrates
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Description
In breeding plumage, spotted sandpipers are brown above and white below with black spots on the belly. The bill is orange with a black tip. This species has a pale supercilium and dark eye line.
Habitat and Habits
The spotted sandpiper occupies a non-traditional niche, being associated with rocky shores and gravel bars of streams and other similar habitats. They are very distinctive in their constant teetering, a bobbing motion created by raising and lowering their tail. This species sounds similar to the solitary sandpiper, but the loud, whistled calls typically vary in pitch and drop near the end.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
Nests are slight depressions in the ground lined with grass or moss. Young are born precocial. Both parents brood and feed the young, but the male provides most of the parental care. A pair can lay up to five clutches per season. |
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