Back to Field Guide
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Audubon Illustration
John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.
Migration Flyway
Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species
Last Spotted Near You
About the Spotted Sandpiper
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.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Actitis macularius
- Family
- Sandpipers and Allies
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Similar species
Other members of the sandpipers and allies family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
- American Woodcock Scolopax minor
- Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii
- Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
- Black Turnstone Arenaria melanocephala
- Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
- Bristle-thighed Curlew Numenius tahitiensis
- Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper Calidris subruficollis
- Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
- Common Redshank Tringa totanus
- Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
- Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
Know when the Spotted Sandpiper turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Spotted Sandpiper
Optics
Best Binoculars for Beginners
You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.
8 min readRead guide
Cameras
Cameras for Bird Photography
From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.
12 min readRead guide