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Home » Animalia » Birds » Gulls, Button-quails, Plovers & allies » Snipe, Sandpipers, Phalaropes & allies » Calidris alba »

Calidris alba share article on facebook share article on twitter share article on google+ share article on tumblr share article on blogger share article on reddit

Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Class: Aves
Subclass: Neornithes
Infraclass: Neognathae
Superorder: Neoaves
Order: Charadriiformes
Suborder: Charadrii
Superfamily: Scolopacoidea
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Calidris

The sanderling is a small plump sandpiper, 18–20 cm (7.1–7.9 in) in length. Its weight ranges from 40–100 g (1.4–3.5 oz). The winter bird is very pale, almost white apart from a dark shoulder patch. This is the source of the specific name, alba, which is the Latin for "white". Later in the summer, the face and throat become brick-red. The juvenile bird is spangled black and white, and shows much more contrast than the adult.

Common name(s): Sanderling

Synonym(s): Crocethia alba, Erolia alba
Sightings Heatmap

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