SANDERLING GALLERY
(Calidris alba)
eBird gives this description of the Sanderling: Small, sprightly shorebird, often seen on open beaches and mudflats. Small flocks run back and forth as if chasing the waves. Gray and white in fall and winter; in this plumage, paler than other similarly sized shorebirds. Acquires rusty red tones on head and breast in spring. Juveniles in fall are boldly spangled black-and-white above. Breeds in High Arctic.
I was able to see, and photograph, my first Sanderling at Bolivar Flats. They are sure quick little birds!
“Cool Facts” About the Sanderling From All About Birds…
- The Sanderling’s mating system varies from area to area and possibly from year to year. Sanderlings are usually monogamous, but in some cases the female breeds with multiple males in a row within a single breeding season.
- Nonbreeding Sanderlings often stay on the wintering grounds through the summer, saving energy by avoiding the long trip to the Arctic nesting grounds. Many nonbreeders remain in South America, while fewer remain along the North American coasts.
- After foraging on the beach, Sanderlings often regurgitate sand pellets studded with fragments of mollusk and crustacean shells.
- The Sanderling is one of the world’s most widespread shorebirds. Though they nest only in the High Arctic, in fall and winter you can find them on nearly all temperate and tropical sandy beaches throughout the world. The Ruddy Turnstone and the Whimbrel are the only other shorebirds that rival its worldwide distribution.
- When threatened by a Peregrine Falcon, Sanderlings fly in a compact flock that maneuvers erratically over the ocean. Whenever you see a flock of shorebirds abruptly take flight all at once, scan the skies to see if a falcon is the cause of the sudden alarm. In their escapes, individual Sanderlings may occasionally dive right into the water.
- The oldest Sanderling on record was at least 13 years, 1 month old. It lived in Nova Scotia.