THE SANDERLING. 14' 



Family SCOL OP A CID^. 



SANDERLING. 



Calidris arenaria, LlNN. 



'TpHERE is hardly a known bird which has a wider range than the Sanderling. 

 _L Roughly speaking, its breeding range is circumpolar, and very far north, 

 and in spring, autumn, or winter, it is to be found on the shores of the rest 

 of. the world, excepting Australasia, which it does not approach nearer than Java 

 and Borneo. In Asia it goes southwards to Ceylon, in Africa to the Cape, in 

 America to Patagonia. It breeds sparingly in Iceland, Greenland, Smith's Sound 

 and the Parry IsTands, and probably in most parts of the Polar regions, north of 

 lat. 73. From its great numbers, it is fair to conjecture that its breeding grounds 

 must be very extensive. Few satisfactorily authenticated Sanderling's eggs are in 

 existence, nevertheless. On our coasts, Sanderlings begin to appear about the 

 middle of August, and, as is usual with Waders, a" few old birds, in rather faded 

 summer dress, are first to appear; by the end of the month, young birds of the 

 year are plentiful. A few may be found during the winter months, but, as a 

 rule, they leave us about the end of October for the south. In April they reappear, 

 but in smaller numbers, on their northward journey, some few remaining till mid- 

 May, or even June, and being then in full summer plumage.* 



Description of adult in summer (Yorkshire coast) : bill black ; iris umber ; 

 upper parts black, with lighter margins to the feathers chestnut on the sides, 

 greyish-white at the tips ; wings nearly black, with white shafts and lighter 

 centres to the primaries, which pass into broad white bases in the secondaries, 

 some of which are edged with rufous ; median coverts edged with white ; sides of 

 head, throat, and upper breast rufous, with black centres in the feathers in the 

 male (in the female, as well, there are dusky semi-lunar margins on the sides of 

 the breast) ; central tail feathers with the inner web nearly black, the outer 

 greyish ; the rest of the tail grey, with lighter inner webs ; rest of under parts 

 white; feet and legs black, with a green tinge. Length 7 to 7J inches, wing 

 (closed) 4. 



* The large flocks of Sanderlings which visit the N.W. coast of England in May and June, sometimes to 

 the number of three thousand birds in a flock, are in changing plumage, very few of them having quite assumed 

 the nuptial garb, though in process of doing so. H.A.M. 



