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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.

Twitcher's tip

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.

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 .

The global distribution of the Sanderling is available HERE .

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.

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.

A. Sarok found Sanderlings in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024.