
Sanderling
The sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wading bird.
Species insights
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Curve from 526 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property and not from this province. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Sanderling is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
526 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Sanderling
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Sanderling recorded here · Forest biome
From R 2,170 a night
Sanderling recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,340 a night
Sanderling recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,370 a night
Sanderling recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Sanderling recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Sanderling recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Sanderling recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,380 a night
Sanderling recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Sanderling recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Sanderling recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,410 a night
Sanderling recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · King protea
From R 4,859 a night
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome
Gives back to Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy and 1 other
From R 14,985 a night
Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Wolwekraal Nature Reserve
From R 1,400 a night
Forest biome
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 2,250 a night
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Black wildebeest · Bontebok
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 5,636 a night
Fynbos biome · English oak
Gives back to Cape Leopard Trust
From R 6,195 a night
Angulate tortoise · Wild olive
Price on request
Fynbos biome · English oak
From R 2,800 a night
Fynbos biome
From R 9,900 a night
Fynbos biome · English oak
Price on request
Fynbos biome
Gives back to Barrydale Hospice
From R 4,355 a night
Fynbos biome
Gives back to Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy and 1 other
From R 2,850 a night
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · White milkwood · Southern right whale
Gives back to Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy
Price on request
Fynbos biome · English oak
Gives back to Cape Leopard Trust
From R 1,465 a night
Whale coast and rolling farm country
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Sanderling
Hosts have recorded the Sanderling at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Keurbooms River Nature Reserve and Table Mountain National Park.
Best hours of the day
- The first hours after sunrise, and late afternoon. Birds call and feed most in the cool.
- Midday. Quieter, especially in summer heat.
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Species
Calidris alba
Records
526
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Sanderling on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Sanderling in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Sanderling at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Keurbooms River Nature Reserve and Table Mountain National Park. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Sanderling in South Africa?
The Sanderling is most recorded in Western Cape (52% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (26% of records), Eastern Cape (18% of records), based on 526 iNaturalist observations. 11 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Sanderling on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Sanderling?
The Sanderling is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Keurbooms River Nature Reserve: year-round; Table Mountain National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Sanderling?
The sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English sand-yrðling, "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".
























