SPOTTED SANDPIPER
263. Actitis macularia. 7.5 in.
Below white, with round blackish spots, heaviest on the breast and sides; above olive-brown or gray, with faint black bars; a narrow black line from the bill through the eye to the ears. Young entirely white below, with the breast faintly tinged with gray. These birds are abundant and breed locally throughout the United States and the greater part of Canada. One or more pairs will usually be found nesting in the fields about all small ponds, or among the weeds that grow about edges of pools and lakes. They have a peculiar habit of “teetering,” whether standing still or while feeding on the banks of streams or ponds; other birds do this but not nearly as persistently as Spotted Sandpipers.
Notes.—A clear “peet-weet;” also a single melodious whistle.
Nest.—On the ground in fields or near the edges of pools or streams; eggs buffy, boldly spotted.
Range.—Breeds from the Gulf to Hudson Bay; winters south of the U. S.
