Spotted Sandpiper
Have you ever gone birdwatching? Maybe you’ve gone out with your binoculars, your nature journal, or maybe just your own two eyes and noticed birds all around!
Many many birds can be spotted up in the trees or far in the sky, but today’s special bird spends much of its time on the ground near different bodies of water.
Let’s learn some more about the Spotted Sandpiper!
Critter At A Glance
What are these critters known for? Spotted Sandpipers have sandy brown bodies, long beaks, a white underbelly, and long legs. They are experts and quickly snatching small insects out of the air, the water, or even running across the sand after a small crab! If they are startled they fly away in short bursts, making them hard to catch!
What do we know about their young? Father birds are in charge of incubating the ground nests. It takes babies just over 20 days to hatch and then just over 20 days to take their very first flight. But, the babies are able to go find food without much help right away.
Where can they be found? Spotted Sandpipers are mostly found in the continents of Northern and Central America. They have also been found in the Western Carribean. They live year around in areas on the West Coast of United States and really like to be near bodies of water such as small lakes or marshes or beaches. Their diets rely on earthworms, crabs, crayfish, small mollusks, small fish, and insects found near these places.
Let’s learn some more about first time parents Patrick and Marigold. Patrick has a pretty cool trick that saves the day!
Are you ready for an out of this world fact?
The female Spotted Sandpipers are actually larger than the males. Since the male birds watch over the nests after she lays eggs, her job is to defend the territory. These strong mothers will fly around and put on a display that says, “STAY AWAY!” to help keep predators away.
Join our team of Critter Protectors! We need kids ready to learn and protect animals of all shapes and sizes!
Birdwatching is so much fun and all over the world there are different species right outside your window! Today’s challenge is to create a birdfeeder for your area. Research different ideas and don’t forget to show your designs. Below are just a few ideas!
Share your bird feeders! #heymrjim
“Spotted Sandpiper | Audubon Field Guide.” Audubon, 13 Nov. 2014, https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/spotted-sandpiper.
Web, Animal Diversity. “BioKIDS - Kids’ Inquiry of Diverse Species, Actitis Macularius, Spotted Sandpiper: INFORMATION.” BioKIDS - Kids’ Inquiry of Diverse Species, Welcome, http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Actitis_macularius/. Accessed 1 June 2022.