Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis Macularia) Nancy Seefelt

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) Nancy Seefelt

Oakland Co., MI 7/12/2009 © Darlene Friedman

(Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II)

If you see a medium-sized sandpiper teetering concentration of birds in the UP and SLP. Spotted Sandpipers were least common in the back and forth as it runs along the shoreline, it is NLP during MBBA I (Chu 1991). This same the Spotted Sandpiper or “spotty”. Flying low general pattern is evident in the MBBA II data; over water using shallow, rapid, stiff wing beats however, Spotted Sandpiper numbers appear to interspersed with short glides is also be declining in Michigan. By block or characteristic of this species (Oring et al. 1997). township, the number of confirmed breeding The Spotted Sandpiper has the largest breeding pairs has dropped in all three regions, with the range of all North American sandpipers. The steepest decline in the NLP. Statewide, less range stretches from Newfoundland and than 11% of the blocks reported Spotted Labrador in the east to the tree-line of northwest Sandpipers in MBBA II, compared to almost Alaska, and then south to Virginia in the east 14% in MBBA I. In terms of townships, about and to California in the west. Occasionally, 30% documented this species during the MBBA some birds will breed in the northern portions of II period, compared to over 38% in MBBA I. the Gulf States (Oring et al. 1997). Although This decline is evident even though more blocks some Spotted Sandpipers remain in northern and townships were surveyed for MBBA II. areas (especially coastal zones) in the winter, Currently, the greatest concentration of most are migratory and winter in the southern confirmed breeding occurrences appears to be in U.S., Caribbean, Central America and South the southeastern LP, particularly Wayne America as far south as Argentina (Oring et al. County. In addition, the Beaver Archipelago and 1997). other islands of Lake Michigan, as well as Isle

Royale in Lake Superior, appear to provide Distribution important breeding habitat for this species Spotted Sandpipers have been described in historical accounts as common summer Breeding Biology residents throughout Michigan (Cook 1893, Spotted Sandpipers are very unusual compared Barrows 1912). Data from the MBBA I verify to other sandpiper species. First, they tend to the widespread occurrence of this species migrate singly or in small groups, as opposed to throughout Michigan, from Isle Royale to the large flocks characteristic of many southern counties with the greatest

© 2010 Kalamazoo Nature Center Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) Nancy Seefelt sandpipers (Oring et al. 1997). In Michigan, right order of magnitude of true population size they may return as early as late March, with for Spotted Sandpipers. The overall population most returning in late April (Chu 1991). Spotted status remains unknown. Unfortunately, in Sandpipers may show either monogamy (i.e. Michigan, Spotted Sandpiper populations have one female mates with one male) or polyandry had an estimated annual decline of 2.7% (i.e. one female mates with several males) on between 1966 and 2007 (Sauer et al. 2008). In the breeding grounds; female Spotted the Great Lakes region, the Spotted Sandpiper Sandpipers tend to be larger, more aggressive, has had an estimated annual decline of 3.9% and return earlier to the breeding grounds (Sauer et al. 2008). The cause of these declines compared to their male counterparts (Oring et remains unknown. Population declines are not al. 1997). The breeding density of Spotted evident in all areas of this bird’s range (this Sandpipers is often affected by mating strategy. species is actually increasing elsewhere); the Females will sometimes have as many as four Spotted Sandpiper is not considered to be a male partners at one time, each male tending species of concern in the U.S. Shorebird one of her nests within her territory (Oring et al. Conservation Plan (Brown et al. 2001). 1997). Historically in Michigan, such activity and high nest density has been best documented Conservation Needs in Wayne County (Miller and Miller 1948). Spotted Sandpipers, like most shorebirds and waterbirds, are at risk from pesticides and Spotted Sandpiper nests are typically located in habitat loss, whether the latter is caused by areas of dense vegetation between the shoreline human development, changes in lake levels or and where trees begin to grow. Their nests are succession (Oring et al. 1997). Although scrapes lined with mostly dead grasses (Oring et Michigan’s Spotted Sandpiper populations are al. 1991). Males often provide more parental not currently considered at risk, the decline in care of eggs and young, especially in the number of occurrences between MBBA I polyandrous breeding. Young can typically fly and MBBA II is somewhat alarming. When a less than three weeks after hatching (Oring et al. common, adaptable species declines, it may be a 1991). In Michigan, Spotted Sandpiper sign that something is ecologically amiss. migration southward begins as early as late July, Monitoring of this species, as well as others, with most birds exiting the state by the end of may be warranted. The decline in Spotted October (Chu 1991). Sandpipers across the state is truly puzzling.

Abundance and Population Trends (Click to view trends from the BBS) Spotted Sandpipers are considered a common species throughout their range, although they are sometimes more rare on a local scale in some areas (Oring et al. 1997). This species is considered to be a habitat generalist, especially when compared to other shorebirds. Little is known regarding the population size of Spotted Sandpipers in this region; however in 2001, the Western Hemisphere estimate for this species was 150,000 birds (Brown et al. 2001). Confidence in the accuracy of this estimate is relatively low, but it is considered to be in the

Literature Cited

Barrows, W.B. 1912. Michigan Bird Life. Michigan Agricultural College Special Bulletin. Brown, S., C. Hickey, B. Harrington, and R. Gill (eds.). 2001. The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, 2nd Edition. Manomet Center for Conservation Science, Manomet, MA. Chu, P.C. 1991. Spotted Sandpiper. In Brewer, R., G.A. McPeek, and R.J. Adams Jr. (eds.). 1991. The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press. East Lansing, MI. Cook, A.J. 1893. Birds of Michigan, 2nd edition. Bulletin 94. Michigan Agricultural Experimental Station. Lansing, MI. Miller, J.R., and J.T. Miller. 1948. Nesting of Spotted Sandpipers at Detroit, Michigan. Auk 65:558-567. Oring, L.W., E.M. Gray, and J.M. Reed. 1997. Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia). In. In The Birds of North America, No. 289. (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Sauer, J.R, J.E Hines, and J. Fallon. 2008. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, results and analysis 1966-2007. Version 5.15.2008. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Laurel, MD.

Suggested Citation

Seefelt, N. 2010. Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia). In Chartier, A.T., J.J. Baldy, and J.M. Brenneman (eds.). 2010. The Second Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. Kalamazoo Nature Center. Kalamazoo, MI. Accessed online at: .