# Spotted Sandpiper (*Actitis macularius*) The Spotted Sandpiper is a small bird that loves to wade in shallow waters. It has a unique spotted belly and a cheerful, bobbing walk that makes it fun to watch! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 35 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Spotted Sandpiper](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Actitis-macularia-005.jpg&width=800) Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Factumquintus assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Actitis-macularia-005.jpg) ## Appearance The Spotted Sandpiper is a small shorebird with a slender body. In summer, it has distinct dark spots covering its white underside and a pale stripe above its eye. Its bill is dull yellow with a dark tip, which makes it stand out. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Scolopacidae - **Genus:** Actitis ## Interesting facts - Female sandpipers often leave the male to raise the chicks alone! - Males have special patches on their chest to keep eggs warm. - Their flight looks like a bouncing ball, unique among shorebirds. - They migrate solo, without flying in big flocks like other birds. ## Special abilities - **Teetering Navigator:** Spotted Sandpiper can constantly bob its tail up and down because this helps them search for prey and navigate uneven surfaces. - **Polyandrous Parents:** Spotted Sandpiper females can lay multiple clutches with different mates, helping them produce more offspring. - **Wing-Wiggle Flight:** Spotted Sandpipers have stiff, bowed wings and beat them rapidly below body level, giving them an erratic, unique flight pattern. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 18-20 cm - **Wingspan:** 37-40 cm - **Weight:** 0.021-0.05 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-12 years - **Speed:** 55 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 20-22 days - **Migration Distance:** 6000 km ## Diet & Feeding They mostly eat tiny insects and worms found near water. - **Primary Foods:** aquatic insects, terrestrial insects, small crustaceans, spiders, worms, small fish - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Common Green Darner](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-green-darner) (*Anax junius*) — Catches dragonflies and their aquatic larvae near water. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Preys on eggs, chicks, and sometimes adult sandpipers. - **Eaten by:** [Peregrine Falcon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — A swift aerial predator that hunts small birds. - **Hunts:** Great Diving Beetle (*Dytiscus marginalis*) — Aquatic beetles are a common food source for the sandpiper. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Spotted Sandpiper? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Spotted Sandpiper? 18-20 cm ### What is Spotted Sandpiper's wingspan? 37-40 cm ### How much does Spotted Sandpiper weigh? 0.021-0.05 kg ### How long does Spotted Sandpiper live? 3-12 years ### How fast can Spotted Sandpiper move? 55 km/h ### What does Spotted Sandpiper eat? They mostly eat tiny insects and worms found near water. ### Where is Spotted Sandpiper usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Advance Mills](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/advance-mills) — Virginia, US · Neighborhood - [Columbia Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/columbia-canal) — South Carolina, US · Historic Site - [Concord Monument Square-Lexington Road Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/concord-monument-square-lexington-road-historic-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District - [Hudson Falls Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hudson-falls-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Hungry Mother State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hungry-mother-state-park) — Virginia, US · State Park - [Isaac Franklin Plantation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/isaac-franklin-plantation) — Tennessee, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Spotted Sandpiper](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/spotted-sandpiper) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Spotted Sandpiper: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-sandpiper)