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- You’ll most often see Sanderlings in nonbreeding plumage, when they are very pale overall: light gray above and white below, with a blackish mark at the shoulder. In spring and summer, Sanderlings are spangled black, white, and rich rufous on the head, neck, and back. At all times, their legs and bills are black.
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The Sanderling is a small, plump, energetic wading bird. It has a short and straight black bill and medium length black legs. It's pale grey on top and white underneath, and has a black mark on its shoulder where the folded wing meets the body.
Sanderling. The caricature of a Sanderling is a small, white mouse-like wader chasing the tideline back and forth on a sandy beach. These birds are winter visitors to Britain & Ireland, distributed widely around the coast and preferring long sandy beaches and sandbars.
Sep 2, 2024 · (Calidris alba) (SAND) Photographic Identification Guide. Sanderling (Calidris alba) (SAND), a world-wide denizen, is a common fall and winter visitor to southern New England shores. In all plumages, recognize this small sandpiper due to its sturdy, short bill, short legs and rounded body. In winter, it is the palest of our shorebirds.
The Sanderling’s black legs blur as it runs back and forth on the beach, picking or probing for tiny prey in the wet sand left by receding waves. Sanderlings are medium-sized “peep” sandpipers recognizable by their pale nonbreeding plumage, black legs and bill, and obsessive wave-chasing habits.
Scientific name: Calidris alba. Did you know: The Sanderling, a sprightly beachcomber, is known for its unique “bicycling” leg action as it scurries along the shorelines. What Do Sanderlings Look Like? (how to identify them) Sanderlings are small, robust waders with a distinctive appearance.
If you’d like to identify a sanderling, look out for groups of small light birds at the tide line. They’re one of the whitest waders in the winter, with a white underbelly and pale grey upper wings, neck and head. Their beaks, feet and tail feathers are all black. If you can see their bill, it is rather stumpy, as are their legs.
Similar to the knot, the sanderling is smaller and paler, with a dark patch on the shoulder and with black, rather than green, legs. It is best recognised by its behaviour, scampering about on the beach rather than walking and probing in the mud.
