Spotted Sandpiper

A Fresh Water Sandpiper 

Spotted Sandpiper [Jennifer Ryder Photo]

The  Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) is a familiar shorebird to most New Brunswickers.  It is common along our rivers and lakes.  It is easily identified as a small shorebird with a spotted breast in breeding plumage and by its behaviour of bobbing up and down and teetering almost constantly.  It is North America's most widespread breeding sandpiper.  Its range is from Alaska to Virginia and from Labrador to California.  Its flight is unique, flying low over the water on jerky wingbeats.

Spotted Sandpiper

The Spotted Sandpiper's biology is interesting.  It manifests as reverse parenting roles.  The females arrive early and choose the nesting site.  The female defends the territory and chooses the male.  After the eggs are laid, the male assumes the chief parenting role including incubation. 

The Spotted Sandpiper nests along the shores of our lakes and rivers.  The nest is a ground depression lined with grass and moss.  Three to five green, pink or buff eggs spotted with brown are incubated 20 to 24 days.  The young are mobile soon after hatching and even start to teeter right away.  The diet of this species includes flies, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, worms, molluscs, crustaceans, fish and spiders.  They often dip their food in water before eating.  

Spotted Sandpiper in Non-breeding Plumage

The Spotted Sandpiper in breeding plumage is easy to identify especially by its spotted breast, its teetering activity and also by the white crescent it shows at the anterior aspect of its folded wing.  The latter feature is helpful in identifying the species in its non-breeding plumage because it loses its spots in the fall and can easily be confused with other small sandpipers.  The call note of the Spotty (as it is often affectionately known) is easily identified (peet-weet).

The teetering of this species has been studied but its purpose has not been determined.  It gets faster when the bird is nervous and stops when the bird is alarmed, aggressive or courting.  Apparently the teetering does not impress the opposite gender!