Photo: Ken Billington / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Sanderling
Calidris alba
Sanderling (Calidris alba) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Sanderling (Calidris alba) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 51.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
- Genus Calidris
- Species alba
Where it lives
High Arctic tundra wetlands of Holarctic: northwestern, southeastern Greenland, Svalbard (north of Norway), northern Taymyr Pen. and Severnaya Zemlya (to northern), Lena Delta and New Siberian Is. (north-central Siberia), Alaskan North Slope (rare), Canadian Arctic islands from Banks to Ellesmere and south to Southampton
Quick facts
- Weight
- 51.7 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Sanderling hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of coastal habitats, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Sanderling is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Sanderling (Calidris alba) is a species of sandpipers, snipes in the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in North America, Europe & Northern Asia — high Arctic tundra wetlands of Holarctic: nw, se Greenland, Svalbard (n of Norway), n Taymyr Pen. and Severnaya Zemlya (to n), Lena Delta and New Siberian Is. (nc Siberia), Alaskan North Slope (rare), Canadian Arctic islands from Banks to Ellesmere and s to Southampton.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Sanderling?
The Sanderling is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 51.7 g.
Where does the Sanderling live?
The Sanderling is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL high Arctic tundra wetlands of Holarctic: nw, se Greenland, Svalbard (n of Norway), n Taymyr Pen. and Severnaya Zemlya (to n), Lena Delta and New Siberian Is. (nc Siberia), Alaskan North Slope (rare), Canadian Arctic islands from Banks to Ellesmere and s to Southampton, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Sanderling belong to?
The Sanderling (Calidris alba) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Sanderling eat?
The Sanderling hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Sanderling migrate?
The Sanderling is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Sanderling endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Sanderling make?
1 real field recording of the Sanderling — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Sanderling's range?
The Sanderling has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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