Appearance:

Unmistakable due to the extremely long, red legs. High contrast plumage with pointed, black wings (both upper and under-side) and white underparts. Tail white, with white wedge extending up back. Back of adult male sooty black, while brownish black in female and immature. Head all white or with black markings independent of sex (males more often have black markings than females though). Immature with faint, pale fringes to coverts, and white trailing edge to secondaries visible in flight.

Sound:

Most vocal at breeding ground. Various short,sharp "kyp" may resemble both Avocet, Coot and Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus). While a tern-like "kee-arr" is more distinct. Note that immature birds have a different contact call closely resembling Wood Sandpiper, but do not utter it in series.

Contact 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

Appearance:

Large and bulkily built diver with heavy bill, square head profile and steep forehead. Usually holds bill pointed straight, not uptilted like White-billed Diver. Summer: White underparts and chequered black back. Black bill and head. Neck with white band. Winter; white underparts and dark back. Neck with incomplete black band, creating contrasting, jagged edge. Heavy, goose-like flight.

Sound:

Song: Like a slow Black-throated Diver. Pitch slowly rising with a register break, progressing into a cyclic, two to four syllable, motif. Also various vibrating eerie descending calls. Often used as sound effect in horror movies.

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

CC

CC-photo:jackanapes, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:jerryoldenettel, Licence,Link.

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