breeding plumage; no sexual dimorphism (California, USA; 2006-03-31)


Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularia

Native Range: North America

Notes: a common sandpiper with many distinctive habits: constantly bobbing or teetering as its walks along a shoreline; a flitty motion when it flieslow across water with its wings held mostly horizontal with quick flicks downward; and a tendency toward sex-role-reversal in which a female may have multiple mates and the males assume much of the nesting and other parental duties.


spotted underparts; red bill with black tip (California, USA; 2010-05-01)

eyestripe, plain but margined brown back (California, USA; 2010-05-01)

white wingstripe in flight (California, USA; 2010-05-01)

nonbreeding plumage; no more spots below (California, USA; 2007-10-13)

yellow legs; walks along shorelines (California, USA; 2009-09-07)

often dangles legs in low flight (California, USA; 2007-12-14)

hint of an eye-ring in addiition to eyestripe (California, USA; 2007-10-13)

nonbreeder posing for portrait; bar on neck (California, USA; 2006-10-08)

nonbreeder walking in the shallows (Costa Rica; 2008-11-08)

nonbreeder flying above the shallows (Costa Rica; 2008-11-08)