The Sanderling is the classic shorebird of sandy ocean beaches, the small white-and-gray bird seen running back and forth in front of incoming waves, probing the wet sand for invertebrates exposed by the wash. It breeds on the extreme High Arctic where it is one of the northernmost nesting shorebirds. In winter it is among the palest of sandpipers.
Habitat
Sandy ocean beaches in winter; high arctic tundra in summer
Diet
Sand crabs, marine worms, and small invertebrates
How common
Common
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