Appearance:

Unmistakable due to the extremely long, red legs. High contrast plumage with pointed, black wings (both upper and under-side) and white underparts. Tail white, with white wedge extending up back. Back of adult male sooty black, while brownish black in female and immature. Head all white or with black markings independent of sex (males more often have black markings than females though). Immature with faint, pale fringes to coverts, and white trailing edge to secondaries visible in flight.

Sound:

Most vocal at breeding ground. Various short,sharp "kyp" may resemble both Avocet, Coot and Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus). While a tern-like "kee-arr" is more distinct. Note that immature birds have a different contact call closely resembling Wood Sandpiper, but do not utter it in series.

Contact calls:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

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:

Most likely to be confused with Bar-tailed Godwit, but easily recognized in flight by its contrasting black and white wings and tail. More difficult to identify when not flying. Generally much leggier, more elegant and upright than Bar-tailed, and with straighter bill. Tibia especially long. Summer plumage with barred/spotted belly (never in Bar-tailed), and orange base of bill. Juveniles with scaled back, not arrow-shaped streaking. Adult winter with mainly uniformly grey plumage, and short supercilium not reaching behind the eye.

Sound:

Quite vocal at breeding ground, but mostly silent elsewhere. Varied repertoire of mewing and sharp sounds, some resembling Bar-tailed, some almost lapwing-like. Most characteristic call is the display call; a sharp and mewing, rhythmic "kew-ku-weeewee". Generally the calls are evenly accentuated (as opposed to Bar-tailed).

Display call and contact calls:

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 Patrick Åberg,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license