# Sanderling (*Calidris alba*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/sanderling  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The sanderling (Calidris alba) is a bird in the family Scolopacidae and order Charadriiformes, also called Pond bird or Ruddy plover. It is a small, migratory carnivore classed as an aquatic predator, living in coastal habitats with a terrestrial foraging lifestyle. Adults weigh 51.7 g, up to 55.6 g, have a wingspan of 35 cm, and its lifespan is 14.9 years, with values up to 18.6 years. It lays clutches of 4 eggs, incubated for 26.25 days, at 1.5 clutches per year, reaches sexual maturity at 2 years, and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 51.7 g – 55.6 g |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Wingspan | 35 cm |
| Lifespan | 14.9 years – 18.6 years |
| Diet | Aquatic predator |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | coastal |
| Egg incubation | 26.3 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 4 |
| Age at maturity | 24 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1.5 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Migration | Migratory |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Charadriiformes
- family: Scolopacidae
- genus: Calidris
- species: *Calidris alba* (Pallas, 1764)

Synonyms: *Arenaria grisea*, *Arenaria leucophsea carteri*, *Arenaria vulgaris*, *Calidris americana*, *Calidris arenaria*, *Calidris arenaria*, *Calidris leucophaea*, *Calidris leucophaea*, *Calidris mulleri*, *Calidris tringoides*, *Crocethia alba*, *Ereunetes albus*, *Tringa alba*, *Tringa arenaria*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is a sanderling?

The sanderling is a bird in the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes.

### How big is a sanderling?

Adult Sanderlings weigh 51.7 g, with values up to 55.6 g, and have a wingspan of 35 cm. This places it in the small size class.

### What does a sanderling eat?

The sanderling is a carnivore whose diet category is aquatic predator.

### Is the sanderling endangered?

No. It is listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a sanderling live?

The sanderling's lifespan is 14.9 years, with values up to 18.6 years reported.

### How many eggs does a sanderling lay?

A sanderling clutch has 4 eggs, incubated for 26.25 days, with 1.5 clutches per year.

### Is the sanderling migratory?

Yes, the sanderling is migratory and lives in coastal habitats.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Sanderling (Calidris alba). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/sanderling