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Sanderling

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Range/Habitat: The Sanderling breeds on tundra from Baffin Island in the North Atlantic, westward to Alaska. This species migrates and winters on both coasts of North America and throughout the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Its main breeding habitat is high Arctic tundra, particularly dry clay-mixed stony plains sparsely covered with willows, dryand, and saxifrage and on sandy beaches during migration and winter.

Threats: The Sanderling, along with other species of shorebirds, is declining in numbers because of habitat pressures, human disturbances, and possible loss of food resources. Based on surveys, scientists believe the Sanderling population along the Atlantic flyway has decreased by 80% in the past three decades.

What TNC is Doing: In New Jersey, thousands of shorebirds like the Sanderling use The Nature Conservancy’s Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge for rest and refuel from their grueling migration journeys. Since 1995, the Delaware Bayshores Program Office has worked with local businesses, local organizations, and residents in the area to help protect this magical place.

Illustrations by David Allen Sibley from The National Audubon Society: The Sibley Guide to Birds published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. Copyright © 2000 by Chanticleer Press and David Allen Sibley. No illustrations may be copied, reproduced, or reused without the express written permission of the copyright holders.