Species:

Black-throated Loon (Gavia arctica)

Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima)

Change species:
Main Images:
Next species:
Prev species:
Length (cm):
58-73
20-22
Wingspan (cm):
110-130
42-46
Weight (gram):
1316-3400
52-80
Size group:
Bigger than a crow
Thrush-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Summer: Black throat framed in fine white stripes at the sides, and a chequered black back. Winter: More contrast between dark and white parts than in Red-Throated Diver. Marked transition between dark neck and white front, and the dark grey crown extends below the eye. In all plumages: Heavier neck and bill than Red-Throated, and bill usually held straight. Visibly protruding chest when swimming. Head shape sometimes squarish. Usually shows big white flank patch.

Sound:

Song: a strong, very resonant, full bodied, low whistling with most syllables rising in pitch: "co clooo-eee, co clooo-eee, co clooo-eee". Also a short grunting "karr".

Song:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


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:

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:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


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

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Loons/grebes
Silhouette
Waders
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file