Sanderling Caladris alba

Brazilian name:
maçarico-branco
Chilean name: playero blanco
Sanderling,  Lagoa do Peixe, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, September 2004 - click for larger image The Sanderling breeds on the shores of the Arctic in Siberia and North America and winters on the coasts of Europe, Africa, the Americas, southern Asia and Australia.

In its wintering grounds it feeds along the wave-break zone of tidal, sandy beaches where it probes for small invertebrates. It dashes along the beach with its head forward, tail up and legs a blur until it finds something to eat and then off it goes again.

Sanderling,  Lagoa do Peixe, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, September 2004 - click for larger image The non-breeding adult is plain grey above and white below. The wintering juvenile has a spangled look on its back with dark feather centres. In flight, it shows a black bordered white wing-bar. In all plumages it lacks a hind toe.

The first 2 photos were taken on 1st September at Lagoa do Peixe, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and Belton says that the small quantity of individuals seen at the end of August and in September and October are, presumably, migrants from North America.

Sanderling,  Caulin, Chiloe, Chile, December 2005 - click for larger image The next two photos were taken on Chiloe Island in Chile on 1st December when there must have been several hundred birds in this one flock. When they took off en masse it sounded like someone crumpling newspaper.

You might be interested to see my photos of Sanderling taken in the northern hemisphere which you will find here.

Sanderling,  Caulin, Chiloe, Chile, December 2005 - click for larger image There are recordings and a rather incomplete distribution map on xeno-canto.
Sanderling,  Cachagua, Chile, January 2007 - click for larger image
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