Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

Larger than Redshank with long, green (sometimes yellow-green) legs, fairly long, stout, slightly upturned bill and mainly grey and white plumage. Flight action slow and jerky with rather long, uniform, dark wings contrasting with paler head and neck, and conspicuous white tail and wedge up back, similar to much smaller, slimmer and paler Marsh Sandpiper; […]

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

Medium-sized greyish wader with bright red legs, in flight showing white barring on tail, and broad, brilliant white trailing edge to wings. Breeding adult heavily dark-spotted, with red base of bill. Winter plumage uniform grey above, paler grey underparts with ill-defined spotted breast, mostly recalling Spotted Redshank (which see). Juvenile buff-spotted upperparts and all-dark bill […]

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

Short-legged wader with almost uniform brown upperparts, clean white underparts running up in a wedge between wing and breast side; rather long tail projecting far beyond wing-tips; short neck, horizontal stance, deep chest and constantly bobbing rear-body are also conspicuous features (though shared with Terek, which see). Additionally, has a unique flight action low over […]

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

Easily distinguished by call and contrasting black and white flight pattern. Shy and often well hidden, first seen when flushed. Rather broad black wings above and below contrasting sharply with white belly, and white rump; looks cut off at rear. When standing, blackish upperparts and breast contrast with clear white belly and flanks. Juvenile darker, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

Resembles small edition of Greenshank (body size smaller than Redshank’s), but legs proportionally longer, bill straight, thin and fine-pointed and neck slimmer, face almost white, usually with distinctive supercilium; flight pattern also similar to Greenshank’s with dark wings, contrasting white tail and wedge up back, pale head and white underparts; protruding legs distinctive beyond tip […]

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

When standing easily distinguished by grey head and upperparts bordered by dark shoulder bar, carpal-patch and primary-line; white, deep-chested underparts and long, yellow-based, upcurved, rather pointed bill are striking features; the short legs and neck, horizontal carriage, dark breast side and bobbing rear body reminiscent of Common Sandpiper, but orange-yellow legs and bill shape differ […]

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

In flight, resembles Green (which see) with dark upperparts, head and wings and contrasting white rump; differs in whitish (not black) underwing-coverts, longer feet-projection (does not look cut off at rear) and characteristic call. When perched, adult shows brown upperparts boldly speckled whitish, conspicuous long supercilium, and rather long, yellowish legs; general appearance is a […]

Kingdom : Birds, Snipe

Medium-sized, dark brown wader with distinctly yellow-striped head and upperparts, dark-striped breast, barred flanks and very long bill, with which it probes in mud with vibrating movements. Often squats in low, swampy vegetation, and usually not seen until flushed at 10–15 m distance (at only about 1 m in Jack Snipe); rises explosively, immediately uttering […]

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

Often the commonest small sandpipers on passage and in winter in the region. In summer plumage, colour on face, neck, breast and scapulars varies from dull orange to warm buff: always shows a pale ‘V’ on mantle and dark centre to crown; in this plumage confusion with Sanderling possible but note small size of Little […]

Kingdom : Birds, Turnstone

A medium-sized, stocky, short-billed and short-legged wader; easily distinguished in breeding plumage by striking head and breast markings, chestnut shoulder-patch and wing-coverts, and bright orange legs. Flight is strong and direct and shows distinctive pied and chestnut appearance, black breast is a striking feature. In winter and juvenile plumage, head and neck are much darker, […]