Spotted Sandpiper

The Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) is a medium-sized shore bird occurring in the Americas. The species breeds in the northern United States and Canada during the summer months, but spends the winter in Central and Southern America. Its name derives from brown spots on an otherwise white belly visible in breeding plumage. Non-breeding birds lack these spots and resemble the closely related Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) of Eurasia. They generally feed on insects, crustaceans, and other invertebrates which they find along shorelines. I have photographed these elegant birds in non-breeding plumage during a visit to Portobelo, Panama, in early March 2014.

Spotted Sandpiper

Spotted Sandpiper