Skip to content
Henry Sowell

Vol. I · Est. 2026

Pl. CXXXIII
Field-journal plate: Sanderling
The Sanderling plate as rendered on the e-ink frame
As rendered on the frame

The Birds · Plate CXXXIII

Sanderling

Calidris alba

Scolopacidae · Taxon 3849

Length18–20 cm
Wingspan35–41 cm
Weight40–90 g

Field marks

  1. Small, plump shorebird with a rounded body
  2. Straight, stout black bill about as long as the head
  3. Round dark eye set in a plain, pale face
  4. Black legs and feet
  5. Pale gray upperparts and clean white underparts in nonbreeding plumage; juveniles show checkered upperparts
  6. Long, pointed wings and a short tail; a bold white wing stripe shows in flight

HabitatPrimarily wave-washed sandy beaches, tideflats, mudflats, rocky shores, and occasional inland lakeshores during migration and the nonbreeding season; breeds on exposed gravel, rocky ridges, and low-growing tundra near ponds or other wet areas.

BehaviorRuns rapidly with advancing and retreating waves, picking prey from the surface and probing wet sand for small invertebrates; often forages and roosts in flocks.

Palette

whitepale grayblacksandy brownrusty brown