Appearance:

Large, stocky Calidris. Easily identified when direct size-comparison with congeners possible. Elongated body shape and short legs. Bill robust, short and straight. Summer plumage: Upperparts speckled in brown and grey, underparts warm rufous brown, like Curlew Sandpiper. Legs dark. Winter- and juvenile plumage: Pale grey upperparts (scaly pattern in juveniles), and white belly. Legs greenish in both juveniles and winter-plumaged adults. Note pale grey rump and uniformly grey tail in flight. Wing-bars less prominent than in Sanderling.

Sound:

Most commonly heard migratory call, a short "kut" or "knot". Sometimes given in stuttering series. Song an undulating, nasal mewing "poooor-mee", or "po-hor-mee".

Contact 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

Featherbase

CC

CC-sounds:Stein Ø. Nilsen, XC317787. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/317787.

Appearance:

Rufous tail with dark brown center in all plumages. Most noticeable in flight when tail is spread. Male unmistakable with black face and throat, white band across forehead, orange-red breast and grey back. Female relatively featureless, except for the characteristic rufous tail. Other characters are brown-grey upperparts, pale eye-ring, and orange tinge to breast. Erect posture with frequent tail flicking.

Sound:

Alarm call a slightly drawn, Willow Warbler-like "huit" with a rising pitch, followed by a short, soft "tuc". Song distinct, with three parts: First an ascending single note, immediately followed by a trill, then concluding with a squeaky, rattling improvisation that usually contains some mimicry.

Alarm 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

Featherbase

CC