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It bears the name 'Dubai' in Arabic and dates back to the 1960s
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Video: One-legged baby bird’s 5,000km journey to Kalba leaves UAE wildlife expert amazed
Khan was on a routine visit to Kalba on Tuesday morning when he astonishingly found the less than four-month-old Sanderling
Supplied photos
A young wading bird with just one leg has been sighted at Kalba Beach, evoking awe and surprise.
Local wildlife expert Mohammad Reza Khan said he was on a routine visit to Kalba on Tuesday morning when he astonishingly found the less than four-month-old Sanderling.
The bird was flying and feeding without any apparent issues despite having travelled roughly 5,000 kilometres from the Arctic Circle.
“Birds depend on their wings for flight, but their legs play a crucial role in take-off and landing," explained Khan.
“For Sanderlings, legs play an even more important part as they must swiftly run towards the water when waves pull back, searching for tiny crabs in the wet sand. Their rapid movements blur their legs as they scurry back and forth on the beach, probing for prey left behind by the retreating waves. I am amazed [at] how this tiny bird is managing all these activities with just one leg after travelling from the Arctic circle to the East Coast of the UAE,” said Khan marvelling at the bird’s resilience.
Sanderlings, classified as medium-sized 'peep' sandpipers, are easily recognised by their pale nonbreeding plumage, black legs, and bill, coupled with their habit of chasing waves.
Adults depart the breeding grounds early, leaving young birds to migrate on their own.
Reza Khan reckons this chick was hatched in July and migrated from a country in the Arctic region before arriving in Kalba enroute to the Red Sea Coast.
It remains uncertain whether the bird was born with one leg or lost it due to injury, although Khan leans toward the former as the more likely scenario.
“Sanderlings are voracious eaters, consuming a diverse range of small creatures on the beach, including sand crabs, amphipods, isopods, insects, marine worms. Doing all this with just one leg in a place where food is scarce is no small feat,” said Khan.
“Salute to you Sanderling,” Khan said in a LinkedIn post, Khan commending its spirit, courage, and determination during its flight to Kalba. He extended well wishes for a safe journey south and a return trip by March, as the bird heads back towards the Arctic.
The name Sanderling comes from Old English, meaning "sand-ploughman." Its genus name, derived from Ancient Greek, refers to grey-colored waterside birds. The specific name, alba, is Latin for "white." In its class of small wanderers, the Sanderling is known for being the whitest.
Did you know
- In some cultures, one-legged birds symbolise life's impermanence, urging us to embrace the fleeting nature of existence and find balance amid challenges.
- Sanderlings are passage migrants and remain in the UAE for a few days– often just a few hours, much like transit passengers
- The UAE welcomes nearly two million feathered friends every year, according to the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), which runs a long-term conservation and monitoring programme to monitor migratory birds.
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