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:

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

Appearance:

Large, long-winged vulture with slender body and long, diamond-shaped tail. Very different flight-silhouette from any other large raptor in the region. Most similar to Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), but note very long tail (longer than wings are broad) and pointed wings. Size difference not always apparent. Adult birds unmistakable when plumage characters are visible. Yellowish head with black mask and "beard". Orangy underparts, contrasting with dark back, wings and tail. Immature birds are dark all over, with pale-tipped coverts. Note that young birds have shorter tail and less pointed wings than adults. Wings held flat when soaring, sometimes with tip pointing slightly downwards.

Sound:

Display call a thin whistling with several register breaks, reminiscent of Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus). A passerine-like trill is also sometimes heard, but generally not a vocal bird.

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-photo:Paul Barnard Fotografie, Licence,Link.

CC-sound:Fernand DEROUSSEN, Licence,Link.