Sanderling

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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. A summer visitor to Britain.

Taxonomy

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

Habitat

Coasts.

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.

External Links

Search for photos of Sanderling in the gallery

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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. Sinclair, I and P Ryan. 2003. Birds of Africa South of the Sahara. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691118154
5. RSPB

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Sanderling. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 5 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Sanderling