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Project Noah Nature School
Calidris alba
Photo take early morning this is a common bird in all Méxican coast lines, The Sanderling is a small plump sandpiper, 18–20 cm in length. Its weight ranges from 40-100 g. The winter bird is very pale, almost white apart from a dark shoulder patch. This is the source of the specific name, alba, which is the Latin for "white". Later in the summer, the face and throat become brick-red. The juvenile bird is spangled black and white, and shows much more contrast than the adult. Sanderling behavior is distinctive, but visually, if the size is misjudged, a breeding plumage sanderling can be mistaken for some varieties of stint, or a winter plumage sanderling can be mistaken for a Dunlin or Red Knot. It can be told from other small wading birds, given good views, by its lack of a hind toe.
It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia. It is highly gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches.
This is my year to learn the shorebirds. So I've been paying really close attention to identification points... but the sanderling is one I learned early. Distinctive posture and feet. We never get to see them with so much color though! Usually they are extremely pale
Ha great to know i don´t know about the legs thanks for the correction:)
Ruddy turnstones have reddish legs, not black legs. I'm thinking sanderling
Gracias Jorge aver cuando nos visitas por aqui y echamos una buceada :)
Hola Jorge parece un Sand Piper, estube tomando fotos de un grupo muy gande en invierno los Ruddys cambian de plumaje y son parecidos a los Sand Pipers:)
Hola Gerardo, veo la ID y tengo una duda, ¿no será un sand piper en vez de un ruddy turnstone?.
De todas maneras es una bonita foto tomada en un bello lugar.
Spotted on Nov 25, 2012
Submitted on Nov 25, 2012
