Sanderling

Photo by Dave Hutton
Photo taken: Farmoor Reservior, Oxfordshire, England

Calidris alba

Identification

Length 20-21 cm, mass 41-102 g. A relatively small wader with a straight, stubby, black bill and a dark carpal ("shoulder") patch. Upper parts are pale grey above and under parts white. The legs are black and of medium length.

Distribution

Breeds in the far-northern Holarctic (concentrations in Canada, Greenland and Siberia); non-breeding range is worldwide(for example, a bird breeding in Greenland may winter anywhere from northern Europe to South Africa). A migrant (spring, summer, and fall) and winter visitor to Britain.

Taxonomy

Monotypic^[1]; some authorities^[2] recognise two subspecies.

Habitat

Nesting habitat is rocky tundra, while coasts and especially sandy beaches are used the rest of the year.

Behaviour

Forages in flocks on beaches, usually in moist sand. The diet includes crustaceans, small marine worms, insects, fish and molluscs.

3-4 eggs are laid in a ground scrape. Some females lay one clutch which is then attended by both parents; others lay one clutch which they leave for the male to attend and shortly after a second clutch which is only attended by the female.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Engelmoer, M., & Roselaar, C. S. (1998). Geographical Variation in Waders. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht. ISBN 9780792350200.
3. Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
4. RSPB
5. Sinclair, I and P Ryan. 2003. Birds of Africa South of the Sahara. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691118154
6. The Sanderling study group homepage

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Sanderling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Sanderling

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