Spotted Sandpiper
(Actitis macularius)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding SNRB - Unranked Breeding |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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The underparts are white and are heavilly spotted with black. Juveniles have unspotted underparts. |
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Size |
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7″ to 8″ in length 15″ wingspan |
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Voice |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Shores of lakes, ponds, and streams, especially rocky shores; marshes. |
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Biology |
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Migration |
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Mid-April to mid-May and mid-August to October |
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Nesting |
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Food |
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Distribution |
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Occurrence |
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Common migrant and breeder |
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Maps |
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The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Aves (birds) | ||
Order |
Charadriiformes (shorebirds and allies) | ||
Family |
Scolopacidae (sandpipers and allies) | ||
Genus |
Actitis (spotted sandpipers) | ||
In 2004 the name was changed from Actitis macularia to Actitis macularius “to cause gender agreement of specific with generic names.” |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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Some authors recognize two subspecies but the differences are minimal and this is not generally accepted. |
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Synonyms |
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Actitis macularia Tringa macularia |
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| Visitor Photos | |||
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This button not working for you? |
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| Lynn Rubey | |||
A breeding Spotted Sandpiper In The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle county. |
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A breeding Spotted Sandpiper in flight. |
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A breeding Spotted Sandpiper foraging for food along the rocky path in the West Pool area. |
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A breeding Spotted Sandpiper foraging for food along the rocky path in the West Pool area. |
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos | |||
| Slideshows | ||
| Spotted Sandpiper JMC Nature Photos |
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| Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) Martin D. Parr |
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| Spotted Sandpiper Doug Scobel |
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| Spotted Sandpiper Cory Gregory |
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| Visitor Videos | |||
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This button not working for you? |
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| Dan W. Andree | |||
| HD Spotted Sandpiper (adult & a baby one) Published on Jul 12, 2015 |
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About
The Spotted Sandpiper is known to constantly teeter as it walks along. I came across this adult while out along a pond and unexpected seen one of its young just suddenly lie down in hopes not to get noticed. One other little sandpiper ran into cover out of sight. I stopped briefly to film the baby spotted sandpiper and then left the pond. |
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| Other Videos | |||
| Spotted Sandpiper Woodfibrebirder |
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About
Published on Jun 17, 2013 Spotted Sandpiper - Squamish River Estuary - June 17, 2013 - Make sure you watch the video at the highest resolution by clicking on the little gear symbol in the lower right hand corner of the video and choosing 720p |
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| spotted sandpiper banffwego |
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About
Uploaded on Jul 22, 2009 at Wabasso Lake, Jasper NP |
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| Como Lake, Coquitlam - Spotted Sandpiper wetvideocamera |
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About
Uploaded on Oct 26, 2011 Spotted Sandpiper at Como Lake, Coquitlam, BC |
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| Spotted Sandpiper (Scolopacidae: Actitis macularia) Juvenile Carl Barrentine |
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About
Uploaded on Jun 23, 2009 Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (23 June 2009). |
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| Spotted Sandpiper (Duluth Waterfront) Richard Hoeg |
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About
Published on Jul 8, 2016 |
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| Visitor Sightings | ||||
Report a sighting of this bird. |
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This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| Lynn Rubey 5/18/2020 |
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge A breeding Spotted Sandpiper foraging for food along a rocky path in the West Pool area. |
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| Lynn Rubey 5/15/2020 |
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge A breeding Spotted Sandpiper foraging for food along a rocky path in the West Pool area. |
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| Lynn Rubey 5/5/2020 |
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge A breeding Spotted Sandpiper In The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle county. |
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings | ||||
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