Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)Where and when to see it in the UK
Status not yet classified · reporting peaks June · Sandpipers and Allies · BOU category A
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Spotted Sandpiper has been recorded in 67 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (2%) in records to 2026. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in June.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 100% or more of visits
- High
- 3% to 100%
- Moderate
- <1% to 3%
- Low
- under <1%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13% | <1% | Low |
| February | 13% | <1% | Low |
| March | 5% | <1% | Low |
| April | 4% | <1% | Low |
| May | 58% | <1% | Very high |
| June | 94% | <1% | Moderate |
| July | 22% | <1% | Low |
| August | 53% | <1% | Moderate |
| September | 28% | <1% | Low |
| October | 100% | <1% | Low |
| November | 70% | <1% | High |
| December | 17% | <1% | High |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in June
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| SO96 | Worcestershire, England | 11% | High |
| TF74 | Norfolk, England | 6% | High |
| NY11 | Cumberland, England | 3% | Moderate |
| SK96 | Lincolnshire, England | <1% | Moderate |
| TQ28 | Brent, England | <1% | Low |
| HP61 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | <1% | Surveyed, not recorded |
| HU46 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | <1% | Insufficient records |
| HY75 | Sea, off Orkney Islands | <1% | Surveyed, not recorded |
| J46 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | <1% | Insufficient records |
| NF09 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | <1% | Insufficient records |