Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
FamilyScolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
GenusActitis (Common and Spotted Sandpipers)
SpeciesActitis macularius (Spotted Sandpiper)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Badlands National Park

2 Verified sightings at Badlands National Park From 2019 to 2026

34,289 Verified sightings across all 104 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Spotted Sandpiper

The spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius) is a small shorebird. Together with its sister species the common sandpiper (A. hypoleucos), it makes up the genus Actitis. They replace each other geographically; stray birds may settle down with breeders of the other species and hybridize.

The spotted sandpiper was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Tringa macularia. The type locality is Pennsylvania. The species is now placed together with common sandpiper in the genus Actitis and was introduced in 1811 by the German zoologist Johann Illiger. The genus name Actitis is from the Ancient Greek aktites meaning "coast-dweller" from akte meaning "coast". The specific epithet macularius is Latin meaning "spotted". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

Adults have short yellowish legs and an orange bill with a dark tip. The body is brown on top and white underneath with black spots. These spots vary in degree over the course of spotted sandpipers' lives, becoming especially prevalent around the breeding season. The overall health of spotted sandpipers... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Badlands National Park

Bartramia longicauda

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Phalaropus tricolor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Numenius americanus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Limosa fedoa

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Tringa flavipes

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Tringa solitaria

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Tringa melanoleuca

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Tringa semipalmata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Gallinago delicata

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Phalaropus lobatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Calidris himantopus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Calidris minutilla

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~70%
2	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~60%
3	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
4	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
5	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
6	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
7	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
8	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
9	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
10	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
11	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~30%
12	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
13	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
14	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
15	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
16	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
17	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
18	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~30%
19	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
20	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
21	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
22	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
23	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
24	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
25	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
26	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
27	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~20%
28	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
29	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
30	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
31	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
32	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
33	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
34	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
35	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
36	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~20%
37	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
38	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
39	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
40	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
41	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
42	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
43	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
44	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
45	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
46	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
47	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
48	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
49	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
50	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
51	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
52	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~10%
53	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
54	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
55	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
56	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
57	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
58	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
59	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
60	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
61	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
62	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
63	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
64	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
65	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
66	Kenai Fjords National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
67	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
68	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
69	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
70	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
71	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
72	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
73	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
74	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
75	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	<5%
76	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
77	Huascarán National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
78	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
79	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
80	Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park	🇯🇲 Jamaica	<5%
81	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
82	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
83	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
84	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
85	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
86	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
87	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	<5%
88	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
89	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
90	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
91	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
92	Canaima National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	Insufficient data
93	Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
94	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
95	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
96	Cajas National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
97	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
98	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
99	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
100	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
101	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
102	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
103	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
104	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

← Back to Badlands National Park

Spotted Sandpiper

About the Spotted Sandpiper

Recent sightings of Spotted Sandpiper in Badlands National Park

Closest Relatives at Badlands National Park

Upland Sandpiper

Wilson's Phalarope

Long-billed Curlew

Marbled Godwit

Lesser Yellowlegs

Solitary Sandpiper

Greater Yellowlegs

Willet

Wilson's Snipe

Red-necked Phalarope

Stilt Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found