Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia

All The Birds Of North America Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia

Perhaps the most familiar shorebird in North America, the Spotted Sandpiper can be found in almost any wet place, from beaches to ponds, streams, and rain pools. A good walker, this species is sometimes seen clambering over rocks and logs; it can also swim, and may even dive beneath the water's surface to escape an approaching hawk. In coastal areas, its diet is suitably marine, but inland it takes a variety of beetles, grasshoppers, and other insects, as well as small, young freshwater fish.

Identification 7-8". Small, trim; grav-brown to olive-brown above; breeding adults boldly spotted below. Winter birds and juveniles white below with brown smudge on neck and breast. White wing stripe conspicuous in flight.

Voice A clear peet-weet or weet-weet; also a soft trill.

Habitat Anywhere with water: beaches, bays, wet meadows, streams, lakes, and ponds.

Range Breeds from Alaska to S. California, east throughout most of North America. Winters along Pacific Coast from British Columbia south; also in the Southeast.