Sanderlings using African–Eurasian flyways: a review of current knowledge
Info
Pages
2 – 20
Published
1 April 09
Authors
Jeroen Reneerkens, Abdelaziz Benhoussa, Helen Boland, Mark Collier, Kirsten Grond, Klaus Günther, Gunnar Thor Hallgrimsson, Jannik Hansen, Włodzimierz Meissner, Brecht de Meulenaer, Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu, Theunis Piersma, Martin Poot, Marc van Roomen, Ron W. Summers, Pavel S. Tomkovich, Les G. Underhill
Correspondence
Jeroen Reneerkens
J.W.H.Reneerkens@rug.nl
Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, PO Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands.
Files
Public Files
Despite the worldwide occurrence of Sanderlings Calidris alba on popular beaches, strikingly little is known about their biology compared to other common waders. Here we review the limited available knowledge of Sanderlings that use African–Eurasian flyways. The basis for this review was a workshop on Sanderlings, held during the International Wader Study Group conference in Jastrzębia Góra, Poland in 2008. We focus on biogeography, trends, numbers, diet, migration patterns and reproduction. Gaps in our knowledge are identified and we discuss the evidence for a Siberian origin of Sanderlings wintering in NW Europe, and plead for more non-estuarine surveys and collaboration between colour-ring projects both in space and time to get a better understanding of population dynamics and migration phenology.