Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Sanderling

Calidris alba (Pallas, 1764)

18–20 cmLength35 cmWingspan52 gWeight

It is a plump little sandpiper whose legs seem to pedal like a bicycle as it runs along the beach.

Busiest months: September · Most records: United States, Canada, United Kingdom

Looks like Dunlin, Red Knot

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. Almost entirely white in winter plumage, with dark patches on scapulars
  2. No hind toe
  3. Conspicuous white wing-bar in flight
  4. Face and throat turn brick-red in summer plumage

Male, female and young

Juvenile has black-and-white feathers, with stronger contrast than in the adult.

Similar species

Dunlin
Dunlin

Similar in size to Dunlin, but Sanderling is stouter, with a thicker bill and no hind toe.

Red Knot
Red Knot

Winter-plumaged Sanderling may be mistaken for Red Knot when size is hard to judge; with a clear view, its lack of a hind toe can be seen.

Where and when it's recorded

Sanderling has been recorded at 2,231 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 182 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Fort De Soto ParkUnited States17,158 records
  2. Parker River NWRUnited States8,600 records
  3. Bolivar Flats Shorebird SanctuaryUnited States8,491 records
More places
  1. Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Lincoln Park, ChicagoUnited States8,397 records
  2. Stone Harbor PointUnited States6,461 records
  3. San Carlos Bay/Bunche Beach PreserveUnited States6,213 records
  4. Huntington Beach SPUnited States6,113 records
  5. Milford Point, CT AudubonUnited States5,769 records
  6. Chincoteague NWRUnited States5,668 records
  7. Long Point – TipCanada5,502 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesCanadaUnited KingdomSpainPortugalChinaChileMexico

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wading bird. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, being among the most extreme northern breeding birds in the world, nesting only on the coldest tundra, north of the 5°C July isotherm; in Europe, its southernmost breeding locality is Svalbard, where only a handful (5–15) pairs breed. It is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, western and southern Europe, Africa, and Australia.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Sanderling?

The Sanderling is about 18–20 cm long, with a wingspan of 35 cm and weighs around 52 g.

Where does the Sanderling live?

Its breeding range: North America, Palearctic: high Arctic tundra wetlands of Holarctic: northwestern, southeastern Greenland, Svalbard (north of Norway), northern Taymyr Peninsula and Severnaya Zemlya (to northern), Lena Delta and New Siberian Islands (north-central Siberia), Alaskan North Slope (rare), Canadian Arctic islands from Banks to Ellesmere and south to Southampton. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and United Kingdom.

When is the best time to see the Sanderling?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Sanderling endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Sanderling as Least Concern.

What does the Sanderling eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Sanderling in?

It belongs to the family Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length
18–20 cm
Wingspan
35 cm
Weight
52 g
Habitat
Coast & tidal flats
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
120 mm
Tail
50 mm
Bill
30 mm
Tarsus
23 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America, Palearctic: high Arctic tundra wetlands of Holarctic: northwestern, southeastern Greenland, Svalbard (north of Norway), northern Taymyr Peninsula and Severnaya Zemlya (to northern), Lena Delta and New Siberian Islands (north-central Siberia), Alaskan North Slope (rare), Canadian Arctic islands from Banks to Ellesmere and south to Southampton

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Sandpipers, Snipes Scolopacidae
Genus
Calidris

Other birds in the genus Calidris

Great KnotGreat KnotCalidris tenuirostrisRed KnotRed KnotCalidris canutusSurfbirdSurfbirdCalidris virgataRuffRuffCalidris pugnaxBroad-billed SandpiperBroad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusSharp-tailed SandpiperSharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataStilt SandpiperStilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusCurlew SandpiperCurlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaTemminck's StintTemminck's StintCalidris temminckiiLong-toed StintLong-toed StintCalidris subminutaRed-necked StintRed-necked StintCalidris ruficollisSpoon-billed SandpiperSpoon-billed SandpiperCalidris pygmaea
Sanderling

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Chuck Homler, Focus On Wildlife. ↗

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