Spotted Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Adult breeding
- Short-necked and long-tailed
- Often in horizontal posture
- Brown above and white below with extensive dark spotting
- Orange bill and thin white stripe above eye
- © Raymond Lee, AB, Elk Island National Park, June 2011
Spotted Sandpiper
Adult breeding
- Short-necked and long-tailed
- Pot-bellied appearance
- Dull brown above, white below with bold, dark spotting
- White stripe above eye
- © Jessie H. Barry, NY, Ithaca, July 2008
Spotted Sandpiper
Adult nonbreeding
- Short neck and long tail
- Sits horizontally with pot-bellied appearance
- Dull brown above, white below
- Bold white eye ring
- © Stephen Ramirez, TX, Progreso, January 2011
Spotted Sandpiper
Adult nonbreeding
- Pudgy appearance with short neck and pot belly
- Dull brown above, white below
- Bold white eye ring
- Pinkish gray bill
- © Joan Gellatly, FL, Safety Harbor, December 2008
Spotted Sandpiper
Adult breeding in flight
- Long tail and broad, stubby wings
- Thin white stripe on wings
- Brown above with faint dark speckling
- White stripe above eye
- © Brian L. Sullivan
Spotted Sandpiper
Juvenile
- Chubby with short neck and long tail
- Juvenile shows dark scaling and barring on brown upperparts
- Grayish brown on sides of neck
- White eye ring
- © Bill Benish, NY, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, July 2009
Spotted Sandpiper
Juvenile
- Chubby, with short neck and long tail
- Dull brown above and snowy white below
- Perches horizontally while bobbing tail up and down
- Juvenile show dark scaling and scalloping on back
- © Tim Lenz, NY, Ithaca, October 2010
Spotted Sandpiper
Adult nonbreeding
- Perches horizontally
- Plain brown above, white below
- White eye ring
- Thin white stripe above eye
- © Gary Tyson, FL, Key West, March 2011
Spotted Sandpiper
Adult breeding
- Walks in horizontal posture while bobbing tail
- Short neck
- Bold dark spotting on white underparts
- Orange bill with black tip
- © Reid Barclay, AB, Oakridge, Calgary, July 2009
Similar Species
Juvenile
- Similar to Spotted Sandpiper but more slender with smaller head
- Dense white speckling on back
- Eye ring bolder than on Spotted Sandpiper, with no stripe above eye
- Greenish yellow legs longer than Spotted Sandpiper
- © Robin Arnold, OH, October 2010
Adult nonbreeding
- Similar to Spotted Sandpiper but much larger
- Long wings and long, stout bill
- Cold, steel gray above and on breast
- Bright yellow legs
- © Brian L. Sullivan, Arcata, CA, April 2008
Adult breeding
- More slender than Spotted Sandpiper with much longer legs
- Thin, needle-like bill
- Crown and back speckled gray and white
- Bright yellow legs
- © Matt Bango, Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook, NJ, April 2010