The Solitary Sandpiper lives up to its name, usually turning up alone rather than in the flocks typical of other shorebirds, picking its way along the edge of a woodland pond, ditch, or quiet stream. Dark olive-brown above finely spotted with white, with a bold white eye-ring giving it a wide-eyed look, it bobs the front of its body gently as it forages and flashes dark-centered, boldly barred outer tail feathers when it flies up. It favors small, sheltered freshwater — the kind of muddy puddle or wooded creek that larger shorebirds ignore.
It is also unusual among shorebirds for its nesting: rather than laying eggs on the ground, the Solitary Sandpiper uses the abandoned tree nests of songbirds such as thrushes and blackbirds in the northern boreal forest, one of very few sandpipers to nest in trees. In Michigan it is a migrant, passing through in spring and fall along shaded pond margins, ditches, and streamsides, where its solitary habits, spotted back, and bobbing gait make it a distinctive find.
Feeds on aquatic insects and other small invertebrates picked from the edges of shallow freshwater, and sometimes stirs the water or mud with a foot to flush prey. It forages along wooded ponds, ditches, streams, and puddles, taking prey from the surface and shallow water.
Unlike most shorebirds, which gather in flocks, it usually appears singly, feeding alone along the edge of a small pond, stream, or ditch. The solitary habit is a good clue to its identity.
Yes. It is one of the few sandpipers that nests in trees, using the old nests of songbirds like thrushes and blackbirds in the boreal forest, rather than laying eggs on the ground.
Along small, sheltered freshwater — wooded pond edges, streams, ditches, and even large puddles — during migration. It favors these quiet spots over the open mudflats and shorelines where many shorebirds gather.
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