Sanderling vs Surfbird
The surfbird is heavier: 201 g against 51.7 g for the sanderling, about 3.9 times the weight.
Photo: Jacob Spinks from Northamptonshire, England · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: marlin harms · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a sanderling and a surfbird?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The surfbird is heavier: 201 g against 51.7 g for the sanderling, about 3.9 times the weight.
- Both belong to the genus Calidris, so they are close relatives.
- Both are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Side by side
| Sanderling | Surfbird | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Calidris alba | Calidris virgata |
| Family | Scolopacidae | Scolopacidae |
| Order | Charadriiformes | Charadriiformes |
| Weight | 51.7 g – 55.6 g | 186.9 g – 216.2 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 14.9 years | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | coastal | coastal |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | 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: SanderlingFull record: SurfbirdCompare other animals