72 WATER BIRDS 
263. SPOTTED SANDPIPER. — Actitis macularia. 
(Common names: Teeter; Tip-up; Sandlark.) 
Famity: The Snipes and Sandpipers. 
Length : 7.00-8.00. 
Adults in Summer : Upper parts gray, with an olive or greenish bronze 
sheen ; head and neck faintly streaked with black ; back barred with 
black ; under parts white, spotted with black ; a white wing-bar con- 
spicuous in flight. 
Adults in Winter: Under parts uniform white, without spots or 
markings. 
Downy Young: Upper parts buffy gray, with black line from bill through 
and down back, crossed transversely at shoulders by two short black 
lines in form of Greek cross ; under parts white. 
Young: Similar to winter adults, but finely mottled or barred with buff 
on back. 
Geographical Distribution : North America to Hudson Bay ; in winter 
to South America. 
Breeding Range: Breeds locally wherever found. In California breeds © 
on shores of lakes in the Sierra Nevada. 
Breeding Season : June. 
Nest: A depression in the sand a little way back on a beach, usually 
under a tuft of grass; unlined, or scantily lined with dry grass. 
Eggs: 4; light butf, thickly spotted with lilac, light brown, and umber. 
Size 1.34 X 0.92. 
Founp along almost every beach and river and lake 
of California, this small Sandpiper is the most abundant 
and most commonly observed of all our shore birds. _ Its 
dainty, dipping motion while standing by the shore has 
given it the nickname of “Teeter,” and that name alone 
would help to identify it. It is the only one of its 
family that nests commonly in California, and is a mem- 
ber well worth studying. It may be found in the same 
locality day after day, picking up its food at the edge 
of the water, or venturing out on the lily pads in search 
of some particularly tempting morsel. The young leave 
