I spotted this Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. There are a lot of sandpipers that are similar in appearance, so I was not sure what kind it was when I took these shots. As I looked through my bird identification guide, however, I realized that the spots on the bird’s chest and the orange bill made it quite easy to identify, because these traits are distinctive for breeding Spotted Sandpipers.
I was intrigued to learn on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website that the female Spotted Sandpiper is the one who establishes and defends the territory—she arrives at the breeding grounds earlier than the male, unlike in other species of migratory birds, where the male establishes the territory and arrives earlier. More amazingly, the male of this species takes the primary role in parental care, incubating the eggs and taking care of the young. Wow!
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 