General Description: Sanderlings (Calidris alba) are the small, short-legged shorebirds that we see running up and down sandy beaches following the edge of the surging and receding waves.

Sanderlings have distinct summer and winter plumage. In summer, they are reddish-brown above and light below, but they breed in the high arctic, so we rarely see that plumage. In winter, Sanderlings are light gray above and white below, with a black crescent along the edge of the folded wing. The bill is short, straight, and black; and the legs are black.

Taxonomy: Charadriiformes, Scolopacidae, Scolopacinae.

Favored Habitat: Sandy beaches at the edge of the surf.

Where to Find: Don't look for Sanderlings around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them during winter on trips to the coast where they can be found along both coasts of North and South America.

Comments: Some Sanderlings breed in the high arctic and winter in Argentina, but most don't bother to fly that far south.