email a friend
printable version
closeLC
Sanderling Calidris alba
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | 57 g |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 1,260,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 10,200,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Unknown | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 8.1 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.620,000-700,000 individuals (Wetlands International, 2006), while national population estimates include: c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration and c.1,000-10,000 wintering individuals in China; c.50-1,000 individuals on migration and c.50-1,000 wintering individuals in Taiwan; c.50-1,000 individuals on migration and c.50-1,000 wintering individuals in Korea; c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration and c.50-10,000 wintering individuals in Japan and c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in Russia (Brazil 2009). | ||||
| Trend justification: The overall population trend is uncertain, as some populations are decreasing, while others are increasing, stable or have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). This species has had stable population trends over the last 40 years in North America (data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007) Note, however, that these surveys cover less than 50% of the species's range in North America. | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Algeria | Native | No | |||
| American Samoa | Native | No | |||
| Angola | Native | No | |||
| Anguilla (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Native | No | |||
| Argentina | Native | No | |||
| Armenia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Australia | Native | No | |||
| Austria | Native | No | |||
| Azerbaijan | Native | No | |||
| Bahamas | Native | No | |||
| Bahrain | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Bangladesh | Native | No | |||
| Barbados | Native | No | |||
| Belarus | Native | No | |||
| Belgium | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Belize | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Benin | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bermuda (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Native | No | |||
| Botswana | Native | No | |||
| Brazil | Native | No | |||
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Native | No | |||
| Brunei | Native | No | |||
| Bulgaria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Burundi | Native | No | |||
| Cameroon | Native | No | |||
| Canada | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Cape Verde | Native | No | |||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | Native | No | |||
| Central African Republic | Native | No | |||
| Chad | Native | No | |||
| Chile | Native | No | |||
| China (mainland) | Native | No | |||
| Christmas Island (to Australia) | Native | No | |||
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands (to Australia) | Native | No | |||
| Colombia | Native | No | |||
| Comoros | Native | No | |||
| Congo | Native | No | |||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | Native | No | |||
| Costa Rica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Croatia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cuba | Native | No | |||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Cyprus | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Czech Republic | Native | No | |||
| Denmark | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Djibouti | Native | No | |||
| Dominica | Native | No | |||
| Dominican Republic | Native | No | |||
| Ecuador | Native | No | |||
| Egypt | Native | No | |||
| El Salvador | Native | No | |||
| Equatorial Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Eritrea | Native | No | |||
| Estonia | Native | No | |||
| Ethiopia | Native | No | |||
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Native | No | |||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Fiji | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Finland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| France | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| French Guiana | Native | No | |||
| French Polynesia | Vagrant | No | |||
| French Southern Territories | Vagrant | No | |||
| Gabon | Native | No | |||
| Gambia | Native | No | |||
| Georgia | Native | No | |||
| Germany | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Ghana | Native | No | |||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Greece | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Grenada | Native | No | |||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guam (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guatemala | Native | No | |||
| Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | Native | No | |||
| Guyana | Native | No | |||
| Haiti | Native | No | |||
| Honduras | Native | No | |||
| Hong Kong (China) | Native | No | |||
| Hungary | Native | No | |||
| Iceland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| India | Native | No | |||
| Indonesia | Native | No | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Iraq | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Ireland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Israel | Native | No | |||
| Italy | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Jamaica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Japan | Native | No | |||
| Jordan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Kazakhstan | Native | No | |||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Kiribati | Native | No | |||
| Kuwait | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Kyrgyzstan | Native | No | |||
| Laos | Vagrant | No | |||
| Latvia | Native | No | |||
| Lebanon | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Liberia | Native | No | |||
| Libya | Native | No | |||
| Liechtenstein | Vagrant | No | |||
| Luxembourg | Vagrant | No | |||
| Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Madagascar | Native | No | |||
| Malawi | Native | No | |||
| Malaysia | Native | No | |||
| Maldives | Native | No | |||
| Mali | Native | No | |||
| Malta | Native | No | |||
| Marshall Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Martinique (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mauritania | Native | No | |||
| Mauritius | Native | No | |||
| Mayotte (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mexico | Native | No | |||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Mongolia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Montenegro | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Montserrat (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Morocco | Native | No | |||
| Mozambique | Native | No | |||
| Myanmar | Native | No | |||
| Namibia | Native | No | |||
| Nepal | Native | No | |||
| Netherlands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| New Caledonia (to France) | Native | No | |||
| New Zealand | Native | No | |||
| Nicaragua | Native | No | |||
| Niger | Vagrant | No | |||
| Nigeria | Native | No | |||
| North Korea | Native | No | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Norway | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Oman | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Pakistan | Native | No | |||
| Palau | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Palestinian Authority Territories | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Panama | Native | No | |||
| Papua New Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Paraguay | Native | No | |||
| Peru | Native | No | |||
| Philippines | Native | No | |||
| Poland | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Portugal | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Native | No | |||
| Qatar | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Réunion (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Romania | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Russia (Asian) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Central Asian) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (European) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Rwanda | Native | No | |||
| Saudi Arabia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| São Tomé e Príncipe | Vagrant | No | |||
| Senegal | Native | No | |||
| Serbia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Seychelles | Native | No | |||
| Sierra Leone | Native | No | |||
| Singapore | Native | No | |||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Slovakia | Native | No | |||
| Slovenia | Native | No | |||
| Solomon Islands | Native | No | |||
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Native | No | |||
| South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands | Vagrant | No | |||
| South Korea | Native | No | |||
| South Sudan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Spain | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Sri Lanka | Native | No | |||
| St Helena (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| St Kitts and Nevis | Native | No | |||
| St Lucia | Native | No | |||
| St Martin (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Native | No | |||
| Sudan | Native | No | |||
| Suriname | Native | No | |||
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Swaziland | Vagrant | No | |||
| Sweden | Native | No | |||
| Switzerland | Native | No | |||
| Syria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Taiwan (China) | Native | No | |||
| Tajikistan | Native | No | |||
| Tanzania | Native | No | |||
| Thailand | Native | No | |||
| Timor-Leste | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Togo | Native | No | |||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Native | No | |||
| Tunisia | Native | No | |||
| Turkey | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Turkmenistan | Native | No | |||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Tuvalu | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uganda | Native | No | |||
| Ukraine | Native | No | Yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| United Kingdom | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uruguay | Native | No | Yes | ||
| USA | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uzbekistan | Native | No | |||
| Venezuela | Native | No | |||
| Vietnam | Native | No | |||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Western Sahara | Native | No | |||
| Yemen | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Zambia | Native | No | |||
| Zimbabwe | Native | No |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | San Antonio Oeste |  |
| Brazil | Goiabal / Piratuba | |
| Brazil | Parque Nacional da Lagoa do Peixe | |
| Canada | Batture Batture aux Alouettes and mouth of Saguenay River | |
| Canada | Blaine Lakes | |
| Canada | Chaplin Lake | |
| Canada | Chappice Lake | |
| Canada | Gooseberry Lake | |
| Canada | Manito Lake Area (includes Reflex, Freshwater, Wells, Colette and Cipher Lakes) | |
| Canada | McIntyre Beach and Rose Spit | |
| Canada | Metiskow and Sunken Lakes | |
| Canada | Miquelon Lake | |
| Canada | Old Wives-Frederick Lakes | |
| Canada | Sounding Lake | |
| Chile | Bio-bio Desembocadura | |
| Chile | Desembocadura del Río Bío-Bío | |
| Chile | Desembocadura del Río Lluta | |
| Chile | Desembocadura del Río Maipo | |
| Chile | Humedal-Marisma Rocuant Andalién | |
| Chile | Santuario de las Aves Bahía de Caulín | |
| China (mainland) | Eastern tidal flat of Nanhui | |
| Colombia | Ciénaga Grande, Isla de Salamanca and Sabana Grande RAMSAR biosphere reserve | |
| Costa Rica | Cahuita, Gandoca-Manzanillo and Migratory Bird Corridor | |
| Costa Rica | Nicoya Gulf mangroves and coastal areas | |
| Costa Rica | Pacuare, coastal wetlands and Migratory Bird Corridor | |
| Denmark | Fanø | |
| Denmark | Vadehavet (Wadden Sea) | |
| France | Baie de Goulven | |
| France | Estuaires picards : baies de Somme et d'Authie | |
| France | Marais de la Baie d'Audierne | |
| Ghana | Amansuri wetland | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Hochstetter Forland | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | South coast of Germania Land, and Slaedelandet | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Western part of Germania land | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Arquipélago dos Bijagós | |
| Iceland | Stafnes-Gardur | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan Bay | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | South Caspian shore, from Astara to Gomishan | |
| Japan | Anogawa and Shitomogawa estuaries, Toyotsuura | |
| Japan | Banzu and Futtsu tidal flat | |
| Japan | Inner Tokyo bay | |
| Japan | Kahokugata, Takamatsu coast | |
| Japan | Komaiko coast | |
| Japan | Kujukuri coast | |
| Japan | Tonegawa estuary, Hazaki coast | |
| Mauritania | Banc d'Arguin National Park | |
| Morocco | Baie d'Ad Dakhla | |
| Morocco | Dakhla area | |
| Morocco | Lagune de Khnifiss | |
| Morocco | Plage Blanche - Ras Takoumba | |
| Mozambique | Bazaruto Archipelago | |
| Namibia | Sandwich Harbour | |
| Namibia | Walvis Bay | |
| Oman | Al Batinah coast | |
| Oman | Barr al Hikman | |
| Oman | Khawr Ghawi | |
| Sierra Leone | Sierra Leone River Estuary | |
| South Africa | West Coast National Park and Saldanha Bay islands | |
| South Korea | Nakdong-gang estuary | |
| Spain | Ferrolterra-Valdoviño coast | |
| Ukraine | Syvash Bay | |
| United Kingdom | Ribble and Alt Estuaries | |
| United Kingdom | South Westray Coast | |
| United Kingdom | Swansea Bay - Blackpill | |
| United Kingdom | The Wash | |
| United Kingdom | The Wash | |
| Uruguay | Barra del Chuy - La Coronilla | |
| USA | Cape Hatteras National Seashore | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grassland | Tundra | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 200 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Threats & impact
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Whole (>90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| |||||||||
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food (human) | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Sport | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Calidris alba. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and allies) |
| Species name author | (Pallas, 1764) |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Unknown |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 1,260,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
|
|