User:Dcchau/Spotted sandpiper

Description
They also feature a white supercilium.

Males and females exhibit similar physical measurements, but differ in weight; females tend to be about 20-25% heavier than males.

These spots vary in degree over the course of spotted sandpipers' lives, becoming especially prevalent around the breeding season.

near bodies of water.

The overall health of spotted sandpipers may be suggested by the "spottiness" of an individual. Generally, females with more "spottiness" were healthier than those who did not have as many spots. The condition of males based on the amount of spots they exhibit is yet to be determined. Additionally, spot size gets smaller and the spot shape becomes more irregularly shaped as age increases.

Spotted sandpipers are a philopatric species.

Spotted sandpipers are the most widespread species of their kind in North America due to their high breeding rates and their ability to adapt to various environmental pressures.

Breeding
Male spotted sandpipers take care of the offspring, both before and after the offspring hatch. They will incubate their eggs for about 20-23 days.

The search for mates amongst female spotted sandpipers is much more competitive than finding potential mates is for males.

Breeding grounds are chosen based on various environmental factors, but tend to be in the proximity of bodies of water that offer some coverage from vegetation. The females usually arrive at breeding grounds before the males do and establish their territories. Males arrive to breeding sites later, but it is uncertain whether or not they will arrive to the same breeding sites that some females have chosen.

Successful breeding sites may be used repeatedly until either the site becomes physically unsuitable (from overgrown vegetation or flooding) or predation becomes too severe.

Due to their polyandrous behavior, spotted sandpipers tend to produce more offspring compared to other species of sandpipers.

Predators
The main predators of spotted sandpipers include raptors, mustelids, mice, and gulls. Most of these predators target the sandpipers' chicks and eggs.

Conservation
Although there has been some decline in the population of spotted sandpipers, their conservation status is currently of least concern. However, the decrease of spotted sandpipers is not projected to slow or stop in the future. The destruction of their natural habitats due to increasing wildfires causes problems for breeding and raising offspring. Additionally, the gradual increase in temperatures poses a problem for newborn sandpipers.