Appearance:

Easily confused with Whooper Swan, but yellow on bill restricted to a rounded patch. May sometimes extend towards the bill-tip, but never beyond nostrils. Angle of mouth bold black. Gives a more compact impression than Whooper, due to shorter neck. Head shape noticeably more rounded, and seemingly larger. Juveniles paler grey than Whooper, with the same bill pattern as in adults, but in faint, pale yellow and pink. Flight easy and goose-like.

Sound:

More vocal than other swans. Both higher pitched and deeper sounds. Birds on the water often gives crooning, crane-like notes with less defined pitch. Tone is less full-bodied in these calls. Flight call a deep, yelping, soft barking sound. Each call short, with a "helpless" quality.

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

CC

CC-sound:Peter Boesman, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Only small wader in the region with a dark or spotted belly. Most common small wader in area, and an important reference species when identifying congeners. Bill quite long with slightly curved tip. Legs dark. Summer plumage with unmistakable large black patch on belly, and variable warm, rufous brown back. Juveniles and moulting adults usually shows at least some diagnostic dark spots on belly in contrast to white flanks. White V-shaped markings on back, but not as striking as in juvenile Little Stint. Only adults in winter plumage shows completely white underparts (and uniformly grey back).

Sound:

Contact call a diagnostic, very nasal "trrreeet" . Given throughout the year and in many situations, including when being flushed. Song: A drawn out, nasal "tweeet", and ringing variations on the contact call in decrescendo. Low chattering heard from feeding birds.

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

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Frank Lambert, Licence,Link.