Spotted Sandpiper by Steven d'Amato

The Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) is one of the most widespread breeding birds in the United States. This 7–8 long bird has pale yellow or pink legs and feet, orange bill with a black tip, and will rarely be seen in Florida with its namesake spots, being a winter resident of the state. A fairly common but usually solitary winter resident in Palm Beach County, it spends its time on the shores of the Intracoastal, bobbing its tail (one of its nicknames is “teeter-tail”) and searching for its main food source, aquatic invertebrates. This “shore” bird doesn’t get too close to the water, though—the spotty likes to keep its feet dry.

Although it does not look “spotted” when it’s in our area, it’s fairly easy for even a beginning birder to spot, either on the ground teetering or in the air karate chopping the breeze. It holds its wings very stiffly in flight, flapping with rapidly vibrating wingbeats alternating with droop-winged glides that make it look like it’s always just about to land, but afraid of hitting the water.

Another peculiarity about A. macularia is its breeding strategys—it is one of the relatively few polyandrous bird species. Females compete aggressively for partners, with their vigorous displays “occasionally” leading to physical combat (Ehrlich, Birder’s Handbook). The female lays multiple clutches (one each with as many as five different males!); the male does nearly all the work of raising the chicks. According to Ehrlich, the Spotted Sandpiper probably developed this unusual breeding strategy to take advantage of its relatively long breeding season; it is one of the few shorebirds that breeds in temperate areas, rather than in the short Arctic summer.