Manu Minute: Sanderlings in the sea foam

By Patrick Hart,

Ann Tanimoto-Johnson, Savannah Harriman-Pote

Published February 10, 2022 at 9:14 AM HST

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1 of 2 — Image 1: A hunakai with winter plumage.

Hunakai, also known as Sanderlings, are small-medium sized shorebirds, between 7-8 inches long with wingspans of almost 14 inches. Due to their small size, they’re often referred to as one of the “peep” sized sandpipers.

Ann Tanimoto-Johnson

2 of 2 — Image 2: Three sanderlings

Similar to other shorebirds, sanderlings molt into different plumage colors twice a year. Their winter (non-breeding) plumage is white, with light brown-grey feathers on their backs and the back of their heads. During breeding season, their plumage is reddish-brown on their heads, breasts, and backs.

Ann Tanimoto-Johnson

When most people finish the long flight to Hawaiʻi, they like to kick back and relax.

The same cannot be said for sanderlings. They hit the ground running as soon as they arrive in the islands each winter.

The best place to spot them is dashing around shorelines, tide pools, and wetlands hunting for crabs and mollusks.

Their name in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Hunakai, means "sea foam," referencing their habit of hanging out right where the tides recede.

Even Hunakai chicks are overachievers. They are able to feed themselves soon after hatching, and some are already able to fly after just two and a half weeks!

AMTJ_ Manu Minute Hunakai (Sanderling) Spectrogram video.mp4

Audio credit: Charles A. Sutherland/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (ML3063)