Sanderling is a bird that belongs to the same family as snipes and sandpipers. It differs from these birds in that it has only three toes. Sanderlings breed on Arctic beaches and tundra, and they travel south in the winter. They appear then from California and Texas to northern South America. Sanderlings also appear on many Pacific islands.
The bird is about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long. Its feathers are hoary-gray on the upper parts and pure white beneath. The sanderling usually lives on seashores. Its favorite foods are small shellfish and marine insects that wash up with the tide. The female lays three or four eggs that are colored a brownish-olive. The eggs are speckled with darker markings.
