From Opus

Adult in breeding plumage. Photo by Jvhigbee

Actitis macularia

Actitis macularius

[edit] Identification

18-20cm

• Brown upperparts
• White below, spotted black
• White wing stripe
• Short yellow legs
• Orange bill with a black tip
• Dark eye-line with thin white superciliary
  

Non-breeding birds do not have the spotted underparts.

[edit] Similar Species

Common Sandpiper

Juvenile
Photo by Marcel Gauthier
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada, July 2004

[edit] Distribution

Breeds North America (Canada and the United States); winters to southern South America

A regular vagrant to Europe. There is thought to have been a breeding attempt in Scotland.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

One subspecies (A. m. ravus) is recognised by some authorities^[2]

[edit] Habitat

Fresh water, ponds, streams, and other waterways, both inland and along coasts.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

They nest on the ground. Females may mate with more than one male, leaving incubation to them.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects, crustaceans and other invertebrates, from the ground or in the water. They may also catch insects in flight.

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6
4. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links