Editing Sanderling (section)

== Distribution, habitat and migration ==
[[File:Calidris alba at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California - 20101116.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Sanderlings at Ocean Beach, San Francisco]]
The sanderling breeds in the High Arctic areas of [[North America]], [[Europe]] and [[Asia]]. In North America, it breeds in the [[Canadian Arctic Archipelago]], [[Nunavut]], [[Greenland]] (and to a lesser extent [[Alaska]]). In [[Palearctic|Eurasia]], it breeds in [[Spitsbergen]] and areas of northern Russia from the [[Taymyr Peninsula]] to the [[New Siberian Islands]]. In the northern winter, it has a nearly [[cosmopolitan distribution]] across the world's marine coasts. It is a complete [[bird migration|migrant]], travelling between {{convert|3000|to|10000|km|mi|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} from its breeding grounds to its wintering sites. Birds that travel further also arrive later and leave sooner. Most adults leave the breeding grounds in July and early August, whereas juvenile birds leave in late August and early September. The northward migration begins in March at the southern end of their winter distribution.<ref name=BNA/>

The breeding habitat of the sanderling is coastal [[tundra]] north of {{convert|5|C|F|abbr=on}} July [[isotherm (contour line)|isotherm]]. The species typically chooses nesting sites on dry stony areas near wet areas, from {{convert|60|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level to {{convert|800|m|ft|abbr=on}}. During the winter and its migration, it is most commonly found on coastal sandy [[beach]]es, but also occurs on [[tide|tidal]] sand flats, mud flats and the shores of lakes and rivers. More infrequently, it may occur on rocky shores.<ref name=BNA/>

===Subspecies===

The sanderling consists of two subspecies:

*''C. a. alba'', <small>([[Peter Simon Pallas|Pallas]], 1764)</small>, breeds on [[Ellesmere Island]], north & east [[Greenland]], [[Svalbard]], [[Franz Josef Land]] and the [[Taymyr Peninsula]]
*''C. a. rubida'', <small>([[Johann Friedrich Gmelin|Gmelin]], 1789)</small>, breeds in northeast [[Siberia]], [[Alaska]] and northern [[Canada]]