The sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English sand-yršling, "sand-ploughman".
The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds.
The specific alba is Latin for "white".
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.