Dunlin vs Sanderling
The dunlin is heavier: 51.9 g against 51.7 g for the sanderling, about 0% more.
Photo: Jevgenijs Slihto from Riga, Latvia · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jacob Spinks from Northamptonshire, England · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a dunlin and a sanderling?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The dunlin is heavier: 51.9 g against 51.7 g for the sanderling, about 0% more.
- The dunlin is longer-lived: 19.8 years against 14.9 years for the sanderling, about 32% longer.
- Both belong to the genus Calidris, so they are close relatives.
- The dunlin is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List; the sanderling is Least Concern.
Side by side
| Dunlin | Sanderling | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Calidris alpina | Calidris alba |
| Family | Scolopacidae | Scolopacidae |
| Order | Charadriiformes | Charadriiformes |
| Weight | 51.9 g – 57.1 g | 51.7 g – 55.6 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 19.8 years | 14.9 years |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | wetland | coastal |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Countries recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.
Full record: DunlinFull record: SanderlingCompare other animals