Appearance:

Most likely to be confused with Black-tailed Godwit, but easily recognized in flight by plain dark wings, white wedge on back and barred tail. More difficult to identify when not flying. Generally more compact, heavier built and less upright than Black-tailed, and with clearly upcurved bill and shorter legs. Belly always unmarked. Base of bill dark in summer and pinkish in winter and in juveniles. Back with arrow-shaped streaking. Adult winter also streaked, and the pale supercilium reaches behind the eye.

Sound:

Quite vocal at breeding ground but mostly silent elsewhere. Varied repertoire of mewing and sharp sounds, some resembling Black-tailed, some almost Snipe-like. Contact call a sharp "kwee-kee-wee-kee", with alternating high and low pitch, and decreasing intensity. Display call a hard and sharp "kuwek-kuwek-kuwek-kuwek", with emphasis on second syllable.

Display:

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

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

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