Appearance:

Only small wader in the region with a dark or spotted belly. Most common small wader in area, and an important reference species when identifying congeners. Bill quite long with slightly curved tip. Legs dark. Summer plumage with unmistakable large black patch on belly, and variable warm, rufous brown back. Juveniles and moulting adults usually shows at least some diagnostic dark spots on belly in contrast to white flanks. White V-shaped markings on back, but not as striking as in juvenile Little Stint. Only adults in winter plumage shows completely white underparts (and uniformly grey back).

Sound:

Contact call a diagnostic, very nasal "trrreeet" . Given throughout the year and in many situations, including when being flushed. Song: A drawn out, nasal "tweeet", and ringing variations on the contact call in decrescendo. Low chattering heard from feeding birds.

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

CC-sound:Frank Lambert, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Very small gull with rounded wings and almost tern-like appearance. Underwing black, with broad white trailing edge. Lacks Black-headed Gull's conspicuous white outer primaries. Adult summer plumage with black (not chocolate) hood, that reaches far down on hind-neck. Winter plumage without hood, but with dark cheek-patch and dark cap. Juveniles differs from juvenile Kittiwake in slender body, dark cap, dark patch at trailing base of underwing, faint dark wing-bar and shorter wings. Can, with experience, be identified by fluttering, butterfly-like flight at long distance.

Sound:

Repertoire of short, tern-like, hard calls, uttered individually, or in series. E.g. "kep" or "krrk". Also a diagnostic, gull-like, sharp and bouncing "ka-tee,ka-tee,ka-tee", with second syllable rising in pitch.

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 Patrick Åberg,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license