Spotted sandpipers are polyandrous (one female mates with several males). Females spotted sandpipers may have 1 to 4 or more mates each season. Females begin each season with one mate. However, as more males arrive, the females compete to attract additional mates. When females have several mates, they do not do much parental care. Instead, the males do most of the work of incubating the eggs and raising the chicks.
Mating System: polyandrous
Spotted sandpipers breed between May and August. Females arrive first in the spring, and establish a breeding territory. The males arrive about 4 days later. The females try to attract a male mate. Once a male and female have formed a breeding pair, they build a nest together in the female's territory. The nests are just a shallow bowl-shape scraped out of the ground and padded with weeds and stems. They are usually built near water.
The female lays a clutch of 4 eggs (sometimes 3). Each female may lay up to 5 clutches per year. The eggs are incubated for 19 to 22 days (average 21 days). The male does most of the incubating, but the female may help. The chicks are well-developed when they hatch. They are able to walk just four hours after hatching, and are able to feed themselves soon after that. The male broods the chicks for a few days after hatching to protect them and keep them warm. The young sandpipers stay with their parents for at least 4 weeks. After they become independent, the young sandpipers join flocks with other spotted sandpipers. Spotted sandpipers usually begin breeding when they are about 1 year old.
Breeding interval: Female spotted sandpipers can lay up to 5 clutches per breeding season.
Breeding season: Spotted sandpipers breed between May and August.
Range eggs per season: 20 (high) .
Average eggs per season: 20.
Range time to hatching: 19 to 22 days.
Average time to hatching: 21 days.
Range fledging age: 1 to 24 hours.
Range time to independence: 4 (low) weeks.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 years.
Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sperm-storing
Male spotted sandpipers do most of the work to incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.
Parental Investment: precocial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Protecting: Male, Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Protecting: Male, Female); pre-independence (Protecting: Male, Female)