Tagged Sanderling completes 7,472 km Australia-to-Andamans migration

Key facts

• A Sanderling tagged on 13 April 2025 at Brown Bay, South Australia, was photographed on Narcondam Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The bird covered 7,472 km in just over two months before being spotted in June 2025.
• Photographer G Thikanna, an Andaman Police officer, recorded the bird during a routine shoreline check.
• The 40–100 gram wader carried a red flag marked ‘DYM’ and a yellow tag enabling origin confirmation.
• Mumbai-based ornithologist Dr Raju Kasambe stated this is the first recorded re-sighting of a tagged bird on Narcondam Island.
• The sighting underscores the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, a migratory route spanning 37 countries from the Arctic to Australia and New Zealand.
• Narcondam Island, located about 140 nautical miles from Port Blair, is noted for biodiversity including the Narcondam Hornbill.
• The bird was originally tagged by Maureen Christie as part of South Australian shorebird monitoring efforts.