72 WATER BIRDS 



263. SPOTTED SANDPIPER. — Actitis macularia. 



(Common names : Teeter ; Tip-up ; Sandlark.) 



Family : 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 buff, thickly spotted with lilac, light brown, and umber. 



Size 1.34 X 0.92. 



Found 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 



