Spotted sandpiper

A spotted sandpiper wades in shallow, rippled water beside pale rocks, its white breast marked with round dark spots and its bill orange with a dark tip

The spotted sandpiper is a small, plump shorebird that bobs its tail constantly as it walks along the water’s edge. In breeding plumage it has bold, round dark spots on a white breast and belly, and its bill is orange with a dark tip.

Spotted sandpipers nest near water across much of Manitoba, from lakeshores and river banks to ponds and ditches, and they pass through in spring and again in late summer on their way to the southern United States, Central America, and South America. They fly low over the water with quick, shallow wingbeats, and they are usually seen alone or in pairs rather than in flocks.

I like how this bird pauses in the shallows, with the sunlit water rippling around it and the spots on its breast in sharp focus.

To find out more about the spotted sandpiper and the places it lives, visit All About Birds.

Spotted sandpiper Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the spotted sandpiper in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the spotted sandpiper nests and migrates, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the spotted sandpiper in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Shield, the Taiga Shield, the Hudson Plains, the Boreal Plains, and the Prairies (gold) and passing through the Southern Arctic in spring and fall (lilac). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

Follow new photos

New work is shared on Facebook and Bluesky first.

Follow on FacebookFollow on Bluesky