Appearance:

Adults unmistakable. White head with bold black markings and orangy brown back. Even more striking in flight, with white wedge on back, large white patches at base of wings, white wing-bars and black and white tail. Juvenile and winter plumage birds with similar white patches, but with darker head and greyish, dark brown back. Underside always pure white. Leaves a robust and compact impression, with heavy bill and square head.

Sound:

Characteristic call: An explosive, hard, resonant and short "koi" or "kott" with a peculiar timbre, usually given in rapid or accelerating series. Alarm call/song more "wader-like", a staccato "kuvi-kuvi-vit-vit-vitua".

Alarm 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 Niels Krabbe,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Appearance:

White with black wing tips and yellow-buff at back of head. Juveniles brown with small pale speckles, white u-shaped rump patch and pale underparts. Fully coloured only after 5 years, and patchy, intermediate plumages often seen. Unmistakable bird at close range or with favorable light, but can be confused with shearwaters at a distance and/or in strong wind. Differs from those by long tail and much longer neck and head. Alternates between powerful, even and shallow wing-beats and glides. Flight becomes more shearwater-like in strong winds.

Sound:

Heard mostly at breeding ground. Even, rhythmical series of harsh "harrr, harrr, harrr,".

Social interaction:

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 Elias A. Ryberg,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license