Species:

Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

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Length (cm):
34-37
19-21
Wingspan (cm):
86-99
56-57
Weight (gram):
200-400
50-80
Size group:
Crow-size
Thrush-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Chocolate-brown hood in adult plumage (seemingly black at a distance), but head only with dark markings in winter and juvenile plumages. Underparts of inner primaries dark grey. First few primaries white with black tip, both on upper side of wing and under. Last character conspicuous in all plumages, but slightly less obvious in juveniles due to larger dark area of wing-tip. Slender-billed Gull and Bonaparte's Gull show similar white first primaries, but differs in long and slender head profile and white underparts of hand respectively.

Sound:

Quite vocal, especially at breeding ground. Distinct, harsh calls. A rasping "kreearr", and shorter, sharp warning calls; "kek".

Contact call:

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See sound file


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

Appearance:

An energetic, small tringa wader. Most similar to Green Sandpiper. Differs by light underwings, larger white spots on back, diffuse border between speckled chest and white belly, narrower dark markings on tail and a supercilium that reaches behind eye. Plumage leaves an overall much paler impression than Green Sandpiper, particularly in flight.

Sound:

Totally different from Green Sandpiper. Flight call a soft, but explosive "whiff whiff" , sometimes with only one syllable. Display call similar to redshank but with only two accented beats; a fast melodious "dee-loo", repeated in cycles.

Song:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


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

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Gull-like
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Waders
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Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file