Thursday Birdblogging

One of the birds you can spot just about anywhere in North America where there's any water on a permanent basis, is the spotted sandpiper. I saw one in the Rocky Mountain National Park, and have seen them on Chincoteague, too.

This image comes from the Birdguide.com. What you will love to learn about them is;

Cool Facts

* The female Spotted Sandpiper is the one who establishes and defends the territory. She arrives at the breeding grounds earlier than the male. In other species of migratory birds, where the male establishes the territory, he arrives earlier.

* The male takes the primary role in parental care, incubating the eggs and taking care of the young. One female may lay eggs for up to four different males at a time.

* The female may store sperm for up to one month. The eggs she lays for one male may be fathered by a different male in a previous mating.

* The function of the teetering motion typical of this species has not been determined. Chicks teeter nearly as soon as they hatch from the egg. The teetering gets faster when the bird is nervous, but stops when the bird is alarmed, aggressive, or courting.