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NPS.gov / Park Home / Learn About the Park / Nature / Animals / Birds / Waterbirds
Sandpipers are a large family of 85 birds that consists of waders and shorebirds. They are some of the most common birds you see on shorelines around the world and they have evolved to have a wide variety of body forms. A majority of this family eats small invertebrates (lacking a backbone) that they have picked out of the mud or soil.
NPS/Intern Tristan Thomas Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)• Spotted Sandpipers spend lots of time alone and are easily recognized by how they walk with a distinctive teeter and they bob their tails up and down a lot• Female Spotted Sandpipers create and protect the territory while male Spotted Sandpipers incubate the eggs and take care of the young • These birds can be found near water along ponds, lakes, beaches rivers, and along streambanks Identificatin Information:• Size: Robin sized (Small)• Color: Dark brown back with a white belly that has dark brown spots on it.
All of the above information is an abbreviated version of information gathered from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Please visit their website for more in-depth bird information.
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Last updated: September 13, 2019