Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius (Linnaeus, 1766)

18–20 cmLength40 gWeight

The spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius) is a small shorebird.

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Canada, Costa Rica

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Spotted Sandpiper has been recorded at 1,861 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 69 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Hornsby BendUnited States12,750 records
Estero Llano Grande SP WBCUnited States12,721 records
Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Lincoln Park, ChicagoUnited States11,686 records

More places

Frank G. Bonelli RP/Puddingstone Reservoir and vicinityUnited States7,869 records
Mitchell Lake Audubon CenterUnited States7,690 records
IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, IrvineUnited States6,430 records
Canoa Ranch Conservation ParkUnited States6,245 records
Willcox – Lake Cochise and Twin Lakes Golf CourseUnited States6,225 records
South Padre Is. – Birding and Nature CenterUnited States6,186 records
Tommy Thompson ParkCanada5,834 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Costa Rica Mexico Belize Colombia Panama Peru

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius) is a small shorebird. Together with its sister species the common sandpiper (A. hypoleucos), it makes up the genus Actitis. They replace each other geographically; stray birds may settle down with breeders of the other species and hybridize.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Spotted Sandpiper?

The Spotted Sandpiper is about 18–20 cm long and weighs around 40 g.

Where does the Spotted Sandpiper live?

Its breeding range: North America: widespread, low Arctic to temperate inland waterbody margins of Nearctic: Aleutian Islands, Alaska mainland except North Slope, Canada (except far northern and Arctic Archipelago) to Newfoundland, south to southwestern, east-central USA. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Costa Rica.

When is the best time to see the Spotted Sandpiper?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Spotted Sandpiper endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Spotted Sandpiper as Least Concern.

What does the Spotted Sandpiper eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Spotted Sandpiper in?

It belongs to the family Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: 18–20 cm
Weight: 40 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 100 mm
Tail: 53 mm
Bill: 26 mm
Tarsus: 24 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: widespread, low Arctic to temperate inland waterbody margins of Nearctic: Aleutian Islands, Alaska mainland except North Slope, Canada (except far northern and Arctic Archipelago) to Newfoundland, south to southwestern, east-central USA

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2