Appearance:

Robust, compact and dark wader, with relatively long and slightly curved bill. Mostly seen in winter at the coast where it prefers rocky surfaces as opposed to most other waders. In winter plumage the base of bill and legs are yellow, and the upperparts grey with dark markings. Breeds in high Arctic and mountains. Summer plumage darker than winter, with brown fringes/spots on back, and darker bill and legs. Similar wing and rump pattern to Dunlin, but appears overall darker. Tail extends beyond wing tips of resting birds. Flight patterns at wintering grounds straight and low.

Sound:

Contact call a hoarse and hard "weet". Sometimes in chattering series. Song quite varied with series of short, nasal, vibrating sounds, interspersed with drawn out, slower calls.

Contact call:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Stein Ø. Nilsen,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Appearance:

Small, but tall and elegant Tringa. Body the size of Wood Sandpiper, but stands as tall as Greenshank. Tibia especially long. The needle-like, straight bill adds to the elegance. Pale face, especially at base of bill. Back grey in adults, with star-shaped speckles in summer and narrow, pale fringes in winter. Immatures with broader fringes and overall darker upperparts. In flight the long legs trails far behind the tail, and the narrow white wedge on the back is conspicuous. Wings are dark with no bars, and shows as the darkest part of the bird also when on ground (especially in adults). Surprisingly quick and easy take-off. Posture generally erect and tall, particularly when nervous.

Sound:

Song a slow, melancholic whistle "tu-lee-uu", with the middle part highest in pitch (and with falling glissando). Similar to Spotted Redshank in structure, but with a clear tone (little risk of confusion). Flight call/contact call similar to singular instances of alarm call of Redshank, consisting of a single note rising abruptly in pitch in a split second and then falling; "kieew". Lingers a bit at the ending of the note, giving it a clearer glissando than in Redshank.

Contact call:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

CC-photo:Wouter Van Gasse, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Derek Keats, Licence,Link.