Sanderling
Calidris alba
Tom NatureWalks · Adjara Georgia field photo
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 18–20 cm; 40–100 g
- Diet
- Crustaceans, small molluscs, worms, insects
- Status in Georgia
- Migrant
- Recorded regions
- Adjara; Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
- Habitat
- Sandy sea beaches, estuaries, mudflats
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Conservation
- Global LC (2024); Georgia LC (2024)
The sanderling is one of the most northerly breeding birds in the world: it nests on the coldest Arctic tundra and spends the winter on sea coasts around the world. It is 18–20 cm long and weighs 40–100 g. The bill is black and thick, the legs black, and unlike other sandpipers it has no hind toe. In winter it is very pale, almost white, with a dark patch on the shoulder. In summer the face and throat turn brick-red. It is harmless to people. If on a beach you see a flock of small, pale birds running quickly back and forth at the edge of the waves, they are most likely sanderlings. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a migrant. In Georgia it is seen mainly in September, with a few records from April–May and October. Most records come from Adjara, from Batumi and the Chorokhi Delta, followed by Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, near Poti and on the coast at Maltakva. Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC).
Identification
Sanderling: how to identify it
In winter it is easy to recognise: very pale grey above and white below, with a dark patch on the shoulder. The bill and legs are black. In flight it shows a broad white wingbar. It runs along the edge of the waves with a quick, "bicycling" action of its legs.
It is 18–20 cm long and weighs 40–100 g. It is the size of a dunlin but stouter, with a thick bill. It has no hind toe, which, seen up close, sets it apart from other small sandpipers.
In winter plumage it is very pale, almost white, with a dark shoulder patch. Late in the summer the head, face and throat turn brick-red and the back darkens. The juvenile is spangled black and white and shows much more contrast than the adult.
If its size is misjudged, in breeding plumage it can be mistaken for a little stint, and in winter for a dunlin. Its behaviour gives it away: it chases the waves, quickly jabs its bill into the sand and runs off again.
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
Often confused with
It breeds on dry, stony Arctic tundra near wet areas, 60–800 m above sea level. In winter and on migration it is mainly a bird of sandy sea beaches, but it also occurs on tidal sand and mud flats, in estuaries, on rocky shores and on the shores of lakes and rivers. In Georgia most records come from Adjara: from Batumi and the Chorokhi Delta, mainly in September. In Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti it is seen near Poti and on the Maltakva–Grigoleti coast, by the border with Guria, in September–October and April. There are single records from Guria, south of Poti and in Lanchkhuti Municipality, and from Abkhazia, at Pitsunda and Lake Inkit.
The sanderling map combines public iNaturalist observations. Regions are taken from the records-by-region table, and the status column separates regions with enough records from regions with too few records. Record counts reflect observation effort rather than population density. Two regions have enough records: Adjara and Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
In winter and on migration it eats small invertebrates hidden in the sand: crustaceans, small molluscs, polychaete worms, and insects and their larvae. It sometimes also eats fish and carrion. When a wave washes up the beach, the animals buried in the sand move up into the top layer, and the sanderling follows the edge of the wave and quickly jabs its bill into the sand at random. When breeding it eats insects, spiders and crustaceans, and on arrival also plant matter: seeds, buds, moss and algae.
It is fully migratory and travels long distances, 3,000–10,000 km, mainly along the sea and the coast. On migration it moves in small flocks, gathering into larger ones at stopover sites. Adults leave the breeding grounds in July and early August, and juveniles in late August and early September. The northward migration begins in March. It breeds from June to mid-July in solitary pairs. When breeding, the male defends its territory aggressively. Pairs are sometimes monogamous, and sometimes one female has two males. The nest is a shallow scrape on bare ground, in which the female lays 3–4 eggs.
Globally the sanderling is rated Least Concern (LC, 2024). There are 900,000–1,200,000 mature birds, but the number is falling. Pollution and other human pressures at wintering and stopover sites are thought to have caused the decline of the last 30 years. Oil spills are especially dangerous, because the sanderling spends so much time on the seashore. With climate change, snow melts earlier in the Arctic and insects appear earlier, but the birds do not shift their breeding, so the chicks run short of food. The 2024 Georgian checklist also rates it Least Concern (LC) in Georgia.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a migrant. It is seen mainly in September, with a few records from April–May and October. It breeds in the Arctic and spends the winter on the coasts of other countries.
On the sandy and shingle Black Sea coast. Most records come from Batumi and the Chorokhi Delta, followed by Poti and the Maltakva–Grigoleti coast. There are single records from Pitsunda and Lake Inkit too. Look for it at the edge of the waves.
In winter it is almost white, with a dark shoulder patch and a black bill and legs. Late in the summer the face and throat turn brick-red. It runs quickly back and forth at the edge of the waves, and in flight it shows a broad white wingbar.
It is 18–20 cm long and weighs 40–100 g. It is the size of a dunlin, but stouter and thicker-billed.
Small invertebrates hidden in the sand: crustaceans, molluscs, worms and insects. It finds its food at the edge of the waves by quickly jabbing its bill into the sand. When breeding it eats mainly insects.
It is harmless to people. Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC), although its number is falling. Coastal pollution, especially oil, and climate change threaten it. If you find an injured bird, call 112 or the environmental protection service.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
