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Sanderling
(Calidris alba)
German name(s): "Sanderling"
Size: 16-22 cm; wing span 40-45 cm
Weight: 40-100 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Sanderlings are small waders.
Their plumage
is cryptic.
When seen in central or southern Europe, they are usually (but
not always) in
eclipse
plumage.
In breeding
plumage
the head and neck are rufous, with dark-grey streaking on the
cap and nape of the neck and dark-grey spots on the rest of
the neck and breast. The rest of the underparts is white.
The upperparts show a striking scaly pattern of light-grey,
white and black.
During the
non-breeding
season they have a white front, except
for some grey wash on the shoulders. Except for the white
frons and inconspicuous white eyebrows, the head is light-grey.
The back is grey with a brownish tinge, with dark-grey central
lines and light-grey edge lining on the wing feathers.
In-flight they show a conspicuous, broad white wing bar and a
longitudinal black bar along the centre of the uppertail.
During the breeding season, some birds develop a crisper
white front and a darker back, with more prominent scalloping
on the wings, while others develop a rich chestnut front (down
to the chest) and head that are scalloped light-grey. The
back turns chestnut, with dark-grey patches and light-grey
edge lining on the wing feathers.
The eyes have dark irises. The black bill is straight and about
as long as the size of the head. The legs and feet are black.
The legs are short, giving the species a "dumpy" appearance.
In flight the feet do not protrude beyond the tail.
Juveniles
roughly resemble
non-breeding
adults,
but they have a crisper scaly pattern on their back.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Note that Sanderlings have a very variable breeding
plumage. Some
birds show a rich chestnut front and head, while others remain
rather colourless, with some showing what looks like non-breeding
plumage with just
a bit more contrast between white and grey parts. In their
non-breeding
plumage they are the
palest of all calidrids.
The correct identification of waders ("shorebirds"), e.g. of the
Calidris, Tringa, Actitis etc.
or of the
Charadrius, Pluvialis and related
genera in the field can be quite tricky. We have therefore made an attempt
to give some advice
HERE.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Sanderling
at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Sanderling is available
HERE
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Sanderlings are a strongly migratory species.
They breed in suitable habitats along the northern coastline of
all continents in the northern hemisphere and on islands inside
the Arctic circle (northward of 70 degrees latitude).
Outside the breeding season they migrate to their winter
quarters. Their circumpolar distribution during the breeding
season makes it possible for them to reach the coastlines of
most continents/seas (except Antarctica), including
Europe,
the Americas,
Arabia,
Asia, Africa and even
Australia.
In Europe Sanderlings are seen either as winter visitors or on
migration between their breeding grounds in the Arctic to the
winter quarters, either in Europe or in Africa.
Sanderlings stay over winter along the coastlines of the British
Isles, including Ireland, and along the coastlines of the North
Sea (from southern Denmark southwards) and the Atlantic coastline,
down to Gibraltar. There are a few winter quarters along the
Iberian Mediterranean coastline as well.
Elsewhere (along the Scandinavian coastlines and the Baltic Sea
and along well-defined flight paths to the Mediterranean and to
North Africa) they can be found during their migration.
Outside their breeding season Sanderlings have a preference for
sandy beaches.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
M. Thomas reports spotting an immature Sanderling on a beach of
Römö Island, Denmark, in September 2017.
G. Pinelas found Sanderlings at Lagoa de Albufeira, near
Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, in October 2017.
J. Pires reports finding Sanderlings
occasionally during the winter months in the Tejo estuary,
Portugal, and along beaches of southern to central Portugal,
where they overwinter. The species was also found on the Azores
in November 2018.
G. Normand spotted Sanderlings near
Vannes, Bretagne, France, in August 2020.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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Near-lateral/lateral view of two Sanderling in
post-breeding moult, i.e. moulting out of breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Near Vannes, Bretagne, France, August 2020]
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NON-BREEDING |
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Full-frontal view of a Sanderling in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Fonta da Telha beach, Almada, Setubal, Portugal, February 2018]
Frontal view of a Sanderling in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas da Fuseta, Olhao, Algarve, Portugal, November 2021]
Near-frontal view of a Sanderling in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Docapesca beach, Lisbon, Portugal, January 2019]
Near-lateral view of a Sanderling in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, February/March 2018]
Lateral view of a Sanderling in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas da Fuseta, Olhao, Algarve, Portugal, November 2021]
Lateral view of a Sanderling in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Marismas de Isla Cristina, Huelva, Andalucia, Spain, September 2020]
Close-up lateral view of a Sanderling in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Lagoa de Albufeira, near Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, February 2018]
Close-up lateral view of a Sanderling in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Lagoa de Albufeira, near Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, October 2017]
Lateral view of two Sanderlings in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Lagoa de Albufeira, near Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, October 2017]
Lateral view of two Sanderlings in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Pico Island, Azores, November 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a Sanderling in non-breeding
plumage;
on the right, for comparison, a
Common Ringed Plover,
also in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, March 2018]
Dorsal view of a Sanderling in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Fonta da Telha beach, Almada, Setubal, Portugal, February 2018]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Lateral view of an immature Sanderling in the wash of a receding
wave; note the crisp spangled pattern on the back and the brownish
hues on the shoulder bar and around the eye (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Römö Island, Denmark, in September 2017]
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Food, Diet |
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Sanderling in non-breeding
plumage
scavenging from a fish carcass
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Fonta da Telha beach, Almada, Setubal, Portugal, February 2018]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.