sandpiper \sand"pi`per\, n.
   1. zool. any one of numerous species of small limicoline
      game birds belonging to tringa, actodromas,
      ereunetes, and various allied genera of the family
      tringidae.
      1913 webster

   note: the most important north american species are the
         pectoral sandpiper tringa maculata, called also
         brownback, grass snipe, and jacksnipe; the
         red-backed, or black-breasted, sandpiper, or dunlin
         tringa alpina; the purple sandpiper tringa
         maritima: the red-breasted sandpiper, or knot tringa
         canutus; the semipalmated sandpiper ereunetes
         pusillus; the spotted sandpiper, or teeter-tail
         actitis macularia; the buff-breasted sandpiper
         tryngites subruficollis, and the bartramian
         sandpiper, or upland plover. see under upland. among
         the european species are the dunlin, the knot, the
         ruff, the sanderling, and the common sandpiper
         actitis hypoleucus syn. tringoides hypoleucus,
         called also fiddler, peeper, pleeps, weet-weet,
         and summer snipe. some of the small plovers and
         tattlers are also called sandpipers.
         1913 webster

   2. zool. a small lamprey eel; the pride.
      1913 webster

   curlew sandpiper. see under curlew.

   stilt sandpiper. see under stilt.
      1913 webster
see also:
tringa actodromas ereunetes tringidae tringa maculata brownback 
grass snipe jacksnipe tringa alpina tringa maritima tringa canutus 
ereunetes pusillus actitis macularia tryngites subruficollis upland actitis hypoleucus 
tringoides hypoleucus fiddler peeper pleeps weet-weet 
summer snipe curlew sandpiper curlew stilt sandpiper stilt 

actitis macularia
     n : common north american sandpiper syn: spotted sandpiper
see also:
spotted sandpiper