Home, near and far.
Sanderlings have a circumpolar breeding range in the high Arctic. They winter on coastal beaches globally, from temperate to tropical zones, including coasts of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North and South America.
Birds Heard
FIELD GUIDE
FIELD GUIDE
Sandpipers and Allies
Sanderling
Calidris alba
The Sanderling is a small, active shorebird often seen scurrying along sandy beaches. Known for its pale plumage, it blends well with its coastal surroundings. This species undertakes extensive migrations, breeding in the Arctic and wintering across temperate and tropical coastlines worldwide.
Migratory, small, chattering,
- Length
- 18-21 cm
- Wingspan
- 35-41 cm
- Weight
- 40-90 g
Typical adult measurements.
Individuals and populations vary.
01 / The telltale details
You’ll know it
when you see it.
Start with shape and behavior. Then look for the smaller details.
- 01
Nonbreeding Adult
Very pale, with white underparts and a pale gray back. A dark smudge is often visible at the bend of the wing.
- 02
Breeding Adult
Head and foreparts become a rich reddish-brown, with mottled reddish to sandy brown on the back.
- 03
Juvenile
Similar to nonbreeding adults but with a distinctive mottled black and white pattern on the back.
- 04
In Flight
A prominent broad white wing stripe, bordered by black, is visible.
02 / A place in the world
Where life
takes it.
During the nonbreeding season, Sanderlings primarily inhabit sandy beaches, though they may also be found on mudflats and the shores of lakes or rivers. On their Arctic breeding grounds, they prefer dry tundra with stony areas or low vegetation, often near wet tundra.
Stay a while. Or follow the season.
These birds are long-distance migrants, traveling between their Arctic breeding grounds and wintering sites across continents. Migration routes can vary, with some birds switching corridors between northbound and southbound journeys.
03 / Listen a little closer
A voice
of its own.
The common call is a short, hard note, often described as a 'klit' or 'kwit'.
04 / The life behind the feathers
A day in its world.
On the menu.
Sanderlings primarily feed on small invertebrates found in the sand, such as sand crabs, amphipods, isopods, insects, and marine worms. They also consume small mollusks and occasionally carrion.
Sanderlings forage by following retreating waves, probing the wet sand with their bills for small invertebrates exposed by the water. They often work in small flocks.
A place to begin.
Nests are shallow depressions on the ground in dry tundra, lined with mosses, leaves, or other plant material. Females typically lay four eggs, and both sexes may incubate, sometimes with the female laying a second clutch for the male to incubate.
The little routines.
Sanderlings are often seen singly or in small to large flocks. They may defend nonbreeding feeding territories, chasing away other birds. When evading predators like falcons, they form tight, twisting flocks.
One more reason to pay attention
A familiar face.
A few surprises.
The Sanderling lacks a hind toe, which is thought to aid its rapid running on sandy substrates.
Sanderlings are among the most widespread wintering shorebirds globally, found on nearly all temperate and tropical sandy beaches.
Sometimes, a female Sanderling may lay two clutches of eggs, leaving one for the male to incubate while she incubates the other, or even having two mates.
05 / An eye for the difference
Could it be
someone else?
Western Sandpiper
Calidris mauriNonbreeding Sanderlings are paler and plainer with a stouter, straighter bill than the Western Sandpiper.
Least Sandpiper
Calidris minutillaSanderlings are larger and paler overall, especially in nonbreeding plumage, and lack the yellowish legs of the Least Sandpiper.
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaSanderlings are smaller and lack the Dunlin's distinctive downcurved bill and black belly patch in breeding plumage.
Behind these field notesResearch & references · 11 sources
AI-assisted species research. Prepared September 2026. Details can vary across regions and populations.