Species:

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)

Change species:
Main Images:
Length (cm):
37-39
18-19
Wingspan (cm):
70-80
42-46
Weight (gram):
230-450
50-65
Size group:
Crow-size
Thrush-size
Main Texts:
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:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


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:

Summer plumage: Warm, rufous brown below like Knot, but much smaller. Bill curved and much longer, and appearance more long-legged. Winter and juvenile plumage grey above and pale below. Differs from Dunlin in slightly longer legs and bill, more pronounced supercilium, no black patches on belly (some rufous summer feathers may show when moulting) and more upright stance. Juveniles with buff-pinkish tone to breast, and scaly upperparts. Always distinct in all plumages when flying, due to bright white and crescent-shaped rump-patch.

Sound:

Flight call a soft, ringing and rolling "krrrrrt, with variations. Lacks the hoarse, nasal quality of similar call by Dunlin.

Contact call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


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

CC-photo:Agustín Povedano, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Ian N. White, Licence,Link.

Sounds:Creative Commons,www.xeno-canto.org ,Albert Lastukhin,http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Waders
Silhouette
Waders
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species