Spotted Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes)
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
Largely unmistakable. Chocolate brown body with small white dots. Wings and crown dark brown without spots. Tail dark with broad white edges/corners. Vent shiny white. Recognizable at long distance when in flight, by its peculiar flight pattern and profile. Fluttering, "inefficient" wing beats, short tail, long bill and often a throat bulging with seeds.
Sound:Fairly silent. Warning call a characteristic dry and rasping "karrr karrr karr" in even pitch. Song a quiet improvisation of whistling and clappering sounds, interspersed with mimicry of other birds.
Alarm call:
Distribution:
Xeno-canto: map
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCA small, active and quick wader, sharing traits of both Tringa and Calidris type. Most easily identified in the field by it's behaviour and sound. Most distinct plumage feature is the white wedge in front of the wings at the sides of the breast. Body is elongated and legs fairly short and greenish. Constantly bobs body and head. In flight the dark rump and white wing-bars are obvious. Often flickers its wings when flying low above water, especially just before landing.
Sound:Very vocal with characteristic repertoire of very high-pitched calls. Often heard is a disyllabic call, drawn out and slightly rising in pitch in the second part. This is often repeated in a series of rising tones in a cyclic manner, with approx 5 tones in each cycle.
Flight call, song:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CC