Appearance:

Adults easily recognized by red frontal shield and red base of yellow bill. Both adults and juveniles show bold white/pale lateral stripe. Appears totally black at distance, but can be told apart from Coot by more slender build. Tail usually flirted, showing diagnostic white under tail-coverts. This also shows in juveniles, which are further distinguished by darker bill and neck than Coot.

Sound:

Rich repertoire of loud calls and softer sounds. Most typical is the territorial call (song); a sharp, loud and resonant "krrrr-ook" or "krrrk". Other calls; a sharp, three or four-syllable "kekeke", and a soft "wep" sometimes drawn-out in a more mewing version.

Song:

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

Appearance:

Differs from Ringed Plover by bright yellow eyering (adults),only faint wing-bars, long tertials (covering the primaries) and slimmer more elongated body shape. Apart from the diagnostic eyering, adults show white band across crown, brown-grey legs (not orange) and dark bill. Juveniles also show only faint wing-bars, supercilium is faint, especially behind the eye, lower part of "mask" is pointed and bill is slimmer.

Sound:

Quite different from Ringed Plover. Sharper sounding, lacking Ringed's soft tone. Often starts with a rolling "r". Common calls are a two syllable "krrll-uuit" with a rising pitch or just a sharp, rolling "krrri-krrri". Also a longer rolling "krree-looo" with pitch rising in first syllable and falling in the second.

Contact, and alarm calls:

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

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Lauri Hallikainen,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license