Sanderling

Scientific Name: Calidris alba
Malay Name: Kedidi Jari Tiga
Chinese Name: 三趾滨鹬

Range:
Breeds in high Arctic areas of North America, Europe and Asia. In wintering months, it has a cosmopolitan distribution.

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: alba, rubida.

Size: 18-21 cm

Identification:
A smallish wader but bigger than the typical stints. Shortish thicker straight black bill. Blackish legs and feet and lacks hind toe. Breeding plumage shows rusty tones on upperparts, often with a frosty appearance when fresh. Looks similar to the smaller Red-necked Stints. In non-breeding plumage, distinctive combination of pale grey ear coverts and upperside, and snowy white underside. Juveniles are similar to non-breeding adults but has darker streaks on crown and hindneck, blackish mantle and scapulars, boldly patterned with buffish-white and buff-washed breast with dark streaks on the side. Prominent bold white wing stripe in flight.

Habitat: Sandflats, mudflats, sandy beaches, sometimes salt pans.  More infrequently, it may occur on rocky shores.

Behaviour/Ecology: Running back-and-forth chasing waves and feeding actively in the sand by rapid probing and pecking.

Local Status: Rare migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured articles:

• Singapore Avifauna records on eBird (Science)
• Bird List Revision for May 2019 (Revisions)
• Migrant bar charts – Sep 9 update (Blog)

Featured reports: Sep 2022, Nov 2022, Dec 2022

Past accepted records in our database:

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Sanderling at Marina Drive East. Photo credit: Francis Yap.

Sanderling at Seletar Dam. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Sanderling at Marina East Drive. Photo credit: Francis Yap

Sanderling at Marina Drive East. Photo credit: Francis Yap

Sanderling at Seletar Dam. Photo Credit: Francis Yap