Solitary Sandpiper

The Sandpiper of Muddy Ponds

Solitary Sandpiper

 The Solitary Sandpiper is well named.  It is usually alone or in small groups.  It is unique in that it is often found feeding in small woodland or meadow ponds.  It prefers wet grassy areas and creeks where it feeds on insects, small crustaceans, spiders, mollusks, worms and small frogs.  We see it here in spring and fall migration as it passes from its breeding grounds in northern Quebec and Ontario to its wintering areas in Central and South America.  It also breeds in the northern parts of the rest of the Canadian provinces up to Yukon and Alaska.

The Solitary Sandpiper is a medium-sized sandpiper (length 22 cm/8.5 in).  It has a spotted dark brown back and rump, white underparts with streaks on the neck and sides.  It has a black tail with white barring on the edges.  Birders find it easy to identify by the white eye ring and the greenish bill and legs.  Both male and female birds look alike.

Solitary Sandpiper

The Solitary Sandpiper has some interesting behaviours.  When it lands it often holds its wings up showing its dark underwings.  It is the only sandpiper that nests in abandoned songbird nests.  It lays its olive eggs marked with brown spots in abandoned Rusty Blackbird, Bohemian Waxwing, Gray Jay or American Robin nests.  It will also build its own nest.

Solitary Sandpiper

 Even though this species is fairly easy to identify, here we have to differentiate it from two species which may be found in similar habitat; Spotted Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs.  The Lesser Yellowlegs is about the same size but it is grayer in colour and it has bright yellow legs.  The Spotted Sandpiper is a smaller bird with a white eyebrow not an eye ring, breast spots in the spring and no streaks on the sides and neck in the fall.  It also has yellow legs.   

The Solitary Sandpiper was first described in 1813 by Alexander Wilson but its nest was not discovered until 1903.  Before that it was confused with the Spotted Sandpiper.