Sanderlings

Sanderlings are the most common small shorebird on the Oregon Coast.

Playing a unique role in beach ecology, Sanderlings are the only shorebirds which actively pursue waves as they roll in and out along the shoreline, feeding on the small crustaceans exposed by the receding waves.

Their flock size ranges from a few individuals to hundreds of birds. When threatened, they fly in a compact flock that careens wildly over the ocean.

These amazing birds are one of the world’s most widespread shorebird. Most sanderlings spend their winter in Southern California and South America, but as many as 1,000 winter here, on Clatsop beaches. They can be seen along local beaches from August to February, but abandon Oregon in May through early July to breed in the Arctic.