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Sanderling

Calidris alba

Least Concern (IUCN Red List)Sandpipers and Allies
Sanderling, photographed by Stephan Sprinz

Photo: Stephan Sprinz · Wikimedia · CC-BY 4.0 (licence)

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Call and song

About the Sanderling

Small, sprightly shorebird. Breeding plumage shows rusty tones on upperparts, often with a frosty appearance when fresh. By mid-summer, the frosty feather tips fade away and the neck can be deep, rich red—not to be confused with the much smaller Red-necked Stint! Very pale in winter. Juveniles are nearly spangled with black-and-white above. At all seasons, note larger size and somewhat thicker bill than other peeps or stints, along with bold white wing stripe in flight. Flocks are usually seen on open beaches, well known for running back-and-forth chasing waves and feeding actively in the sand. Also occurs on mudflats, especially in migration. Extensive global range, breeding on high Arctic tundra and wintering on coastlines on every continent except Antarctica.

Species account: eBird.org, fetched 2025-12-26 · How these pages are made

Where it has been recorded

Recorded in 220 of the 253 countries we have eBird lists for. Each opens that country's checklist.

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