Appearance:

Big and plump-bodied diving duck with long neck, rounded head and long bill. Male unmistakable with it's red head, long deep-red bill, distinct white flank-patches and black belly. The contrasting light grey cheeks of the female recalls female Common Scooter, but note round head, pale body and much longer neck and bill. Both sexes with very broad and striking white wingbar clearly visible in flight.

Sound:

Female: Indistinct "ahrrrr -ahrrrr -ahrrrr" similar to other female diving ducks. Male: a nasal dry "qweeeek" similar in timbre to Goldeneye male, but mostly monosyllabic and with an almost barking quality.

Display 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

Appearance:

Slightly bigger and more heavy build than Ptarmigan, with clearly heavier bill. Summer plumage warm brown above with white belly, showing a warmer brown than Ptarmigan. Winter plumage all white in both sexes, except for black tail. Males lacking black lores. Wings always white in all plumages in nominate ssp. lagopus, and brown in ssp. scotica.

Sound:

Very characteristic calls: "Kuwa -Kuwa -Kuwa" (go back!) Also: "kauw kauwkkkrrrkekekekekeke" with a short pause after first "kauw", then a decelerating cackle, often followed by the "go back" call.

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-sound:Terje Kolaas, Licence,Link.