Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

Often one of the commonest shorebirds, larger than the Stints, but slightly smaller than Curlew Sandpiper. Longer bill than Stints is slightly down-curved. In summer plumage easily told by black belly-patch. In winter, this patch is lost as are rufous tones to upperparts, then has grey upperparts with narrow pale fringes to coverts and scapulars, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Kestrel

Long, narrow, fairly pointed wings, long rounded or tapering tail, shallow loose wing-beats, persistent hovering and rufous upperparts, contrasting with darker flight-feathers, characteristic. Compared to Lesser, male has black spots on back and wing-coverts (absent in male Lesser), lacks blue-grey greater upper-wing-coverts, has different head-pattern and underwing. Female has dark bars on red-brown upperparts; some […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers

Rather large, colourful plover; easily identified by long bright yellow legs, black head and centre of breast, white ear-coverts, side of neck and breast-side; eye-ring and wattle in front of eye is red. Flight is light with slow wing-beats and shows similar wing pattern to Spur-winged and White-tailed, but tail has black subterminal band with […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers

Elegant, long-legged plover, mainly sandy brown above, black head and underparts and contrasting white cheeks and sides of neck. In flight, tri-coloured: conspicuous white band between black flight-feathers and sandy wing-coverts; broad black tail-band; from below black belly and flight feathers contrast with white underwing-coverts. Flight action rather jerky. Juvenile similar to adult. Differs from […]

Kingdom : Birds, Oyster-catcher

Large unmistakable black and white wader with long, red bill and rather short, red-pink legs (adult). Flight is strong, direct and duck-like and shows conspicuous white wing-bar, white rump and terminal black tail band; non-breeding adult has white neck collar and duller bill-tip. Juvenile and immature have duller black upperparts, dark tip to bill, greyish […]

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

A small, elegant wader which swims high on water, often spinning to whirl up food items, which will be taken with needle-thin, black bill. Unmistakable in breeding plumage with striking head and neck pattern. In winter plumage upperparts are ash-grey with white lines and fringes, black mask through eye and black on hind-crown conspicuous. Juvenile […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers

Dunlin-sized plover with orange legs and bill-base, strong black breast band and white hindneck collar; in flight, shows conspicuous white wing-bar, note also characteristic call. In adult non-breeding black is replaced by dark grey-brown, supercilium and forehead are tinged brown, and bill is nearly black. Juvenile similar to adult non-breeding, but is paler and duller, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers

Long-legged pied wader with large head and straight massive bill. Adult breeding has black mantle, white head and neck and distinctive black spot around eye; adult winter and immature have dark streaks on crown and nape. Juvenile shows streaking on rear crown, silvery grey mantle, scapulars and tail, and at distance could be mistaken for […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers

Resembles larger version of Lesser Sand (which see for further details), and isolated individuals can be almost impossible to separate. Note especially: larger size (obviously larger than Ringed); longer, more pointed bill, and larger, more angular head and big eye; sometimes reminiscent in shape of much larger Grey Plover; longer, usually yellowish green legs (especially […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers

Large, rather robust-looking plover, bigger than European Golden, with heavier head and longer, stouter bill; lacks obvious yellow or greenish tones in upper-parts, except for faint yellow-buff tinge in juvenile. Black axillaries diagnostic in all plumages in flight (most obvious and contrasting in juvenile and non-breeding). Adult breeding recalls European Golden, but more white on […]

Kingdom : Birds, Lapwings and Plovers

Very similar to Greater Sand in all plumages, behaviour and general outline, and isolated individuals can be impossible to distinguish. Best separated by: size (body only slightly larger than Ringed, Greater Sand distinctly larger); shorter bill, less pointed, more swollen at tip (but overlap with Greater Sand occurs in western birds); head looks smaller, more […]

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

Resembles Redshank, but often stands more upright with longer neck, smaller head and proportionally short slightly drooping bill; often looks hump-backed and pot-bellied; female noticeably smaller than male (and smaller than Redshank). Flight lazy on rather broad wings deeply depressed on downstroke, sometimes interrupted with glides, especially before landing; flight pattern shows narrow, dull wing-bar […]

Kingdom : Birds, Sandpiper

Told from Dunlin in all plumages by white rump, longer, more decurved bill and longer legs, giving it a more elegant appearance. Easily told in breeding plumage by chestnut-red face and underparts (often with white feather-fringes). In winter, plain grey above, white below with a light suffusion to breast sides and noticeable white supercilium; then […]

Kingdom : Birds, Swallow

Easily distinguished by combination of bluish black upperparts (small white patches visible in tail when spread), long tail-streamers, chestnut forehead and throat, solid dark breast band and buffish white underparts including underwing-coverts. Juvenile lacks tail-streamers, has brownish breast band and wings and paler rusty forehead. Flight is strong and elegant with much banking and turning, […]

Kingdom : Birds, Tern

Size of Sandwich Tern but resembles Swift Tern more closely in plumage. Has long slim orange-yellow bill, pale ash-grey upperparts with rump and tail paler grey. Slightly crested nape black as may be forehead for short period in summer, but forehead otherwise white. In winter, bill paler orange-yellow and solid black is confined to nape. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Tern

Medium-sized tern with very pale grey upperparts and wings, long slender black bill tipped yellow (latter hard to see at distance), long narrow wings, medium-short forked tail and fairly long extended neck in flight, which is powerful with deep wing-beats. In summer, black cap has short crest; in winter, black confined to nape extending forward […]

Kingdom : Birds, Tern

Slightly larger than Little and Saunder’s terns with slightly longer, broader wings, slightly more forked tail (adult), longer legs and heavier bill; flight buoyant and restless. It both snatches and dives for food. Adult in summer has uniform pale grey upper surface (including rump and tail); sooty grey underparts contrasting with whitish cheek-stripe and underwings. […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wagtail

In male, head colour differs, depending on race, of which eight have been recorded in the region. Racial variation is given below: flava: blue-grey crown and ear-coverts; long white supercilium; chin and sometimes sides of throat white. thunbergi: dark grey crown, with no sharp demarcation to upperparts but contrasting with very dark grey ear-coverts, usually […]

Kingdom : Birds, Wheatear

Resembles large female Northern Wheatear but, generally, more robust in build, with longer legs and bill, slightly shorter tail and more upright stance; best separated by isolated black alula in paler, more uniform sandy wings, contrasting less with upperparts (has broader pale feather-edges to wings than Northern Wheatear; note that some first autumn Northern can […]