Sandpipers · Shorebirds
Sanderling
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Calidris alba
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Voice
Call
Call
Alarm
How to recognize it
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Small, plump sandpiper; stout with a thick bill
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Winter plumage very pale, almost white, with a dark shoulder patch
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Strong white wingbar in flight
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Runs along the surf edge in quick, stop-start bursts
About the species
Sanderling looks like a lively little shore wader, compact and quick on its feet. In winter it can seem almost pale against the beach, while in breeding plumage it looks warmer and more patterned.
Its most memorable habit is the constant running at the waterline. It darts along the surf, pauses to seize tiny prey, and keeps moving in short bursts, as if always testing the next patch of sand. Its voice is rather quiet, with short calls, and a disturbed flock can suddenly become very noisy before settling back.
Outside the breeding season it favors sandy coasts, tidal flats, and beaches, often in flocks. It feeds on small crabs, mollusks, worms, and other invertebrates, and in the Arctic breeding grounds it also takes insects and some plant food. It is a long-distance migrant and spends winter far south, along coasts in several parts of
Where to find
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On flat sandy shores right by the water — along the surf edge or exposed sandbars, where a flock runs fast and pecks up tiny prey washed in by the waves.
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At river mouths, canals, and brackish lagoons — on bare mud at low tide, with sanderlings probing the wet sand for food.
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Rarely inland, but sometimes on open shores of ponds or reservoirs after windy weather, especially where there is a wide strip of bare sand and quick darting at the waterline.
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On shingle spits and stony embankments near the sea, watch for the low, stop-and-go run along the edge of the water.
