Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: – Costa Rica’s national motto and tourism slogan, “La Pura Vida” loosely translates to Live Life or Enjoy Life. With over 900 bird species recorded in Costa Rica, there is certainly lots to enjoy! With 12 of the world’s 18 life zones, its diverse landscapes, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, and savannas, provide habitat for a wide range of iconic birds A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
SANDERLING – (Species Account Blog #64)
TAXONOMIC TREE:
- ORDER: Charadriiformes,
- FAMILY: Scolopacidae,
- BINOMIAL NAME: Calidris alba
The Sanderling is a small, plump sandpiper, most commonly associated with sandy coastal beaches, which it occupies in winter and while on migration. When foraging on sandy beaches, Sanderlings move quickly, running ahead of incoming waves and chasing after receding ones, probing the sand for food. Although its numbers are generally small locally, the Sanderling is a cosmopolitan bird during the non-breeding season. It may be found on almost any sandy beach, anywhere on the planet! (from Birds of the World)
SIMILAR SPECIES
In nonbreeding plumage, may be confused with other similarly sized sandpipers (Western Sandpiper comparison below), but whiteness of plumage (especially white face) combined with short, straight, black bill, and sandy habitat are key distinguishing characteristics.
DISTRIBUTION
PERSONAL OBSERVATION ANECDOTES
In Costa Rica we observed Sanderlings while on the boat tour at the mouth of the Tárcoles River.
PHOTO GALLERY
**Some of these Photo Gallery images (all taken by me) have been taken in other nearby countries.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
View the five most recent Birds & Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.
- A Streak-headed Woodcreeper Feeds its Offspring Near the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
- PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
- BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
Reflections of the Natural World 