Concise Bird Guide Read online

  VOICE

  Varied repertoire includes harsh metallic ‘krrek’ and ‘kittick’ calls.

  HABITAT

  Ponds, rivers, canals, lakes and marshes across Europe. Also parks and gardens with large ponds.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on seeds, insects, molluscs, leaves and carrion. Nest a bulky mound of vegetation on the water. Juveniles may help parents raise next generation.

  Coot

  Fulica atra

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  38cm. Mainly black water bird with a white bill and shield on the forehead, greenish legs and a domed back. Chicks are black with rufous heads. Juvenile is greyish.

  VOICE

  Quite noisy; call usually a loud ‘kowk’ or variation.

  HABITAT

  Still and slow-moving fresh water. Usually found on larger and more open water bodies than Moorhen.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Dives for food, largely aquatic plants. Often in flocks, especially outside the breeding season. Requires fringing vegetation for nesting. Quarrelsome; fights on the water using its large feet, especially during the breeding season, when it will attack birds much larger than itself such as swans and geese.

  Oystercatcher

  Haematopus ostralegus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  43cm. A large and boldly marked black-and-white wader with an orange-red bill and pink legs. White rump and wing bar, and white collar in winter.

  VOICE

  Noisy; loud ‘kleep’ call and piping display.

  HABITAT

  Coasts, mudflats and wet meadows; usually coastal. Resident in Britain; also passage migrant and winter visitor.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Eats mainly invertebrates, especially molluscs, which it opens by hammering or prising (some Oystercatchers have pointed bills, others have squarer-ended bills). Nests on the ground.

  Avocet

  Recurvirostra avosetta

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  43cm. Large, elegant and boldly marked black-and-white wader with a black crown and nape, blue-grey legs and a slender upturned bill.

  VOICE

  Call a liquid ‘kluut’.

  HABITAT

  Salt marshes, brackish lagoons and mudflats. Mainly summer visitor to Britain, breeding mostly in East Anglia and south-east England. Winters in south-west and west Africa, but many birds stay in western Europe in mild winters.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds chiefly on shrimp-like crustaceans, ragworms, other invertebrates and fish spawn, using vigorous sideways swishes of bill through water and silty mud. Nest lined with marsh vegetation in a shallow scrape on the ground.

  Stone- curlew

  Burhinus oedicnemus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  42cm. Unmistakable bird with cryptic brown plumage, a large yellow eye, long yellow legs and a yellow bill tipped with black. Colour of plumage ensures that it is well camouflaged against stony ground, especially when it freezes.

  VOICE

  Call a whistling ‘crew-li’ or ‘tree-iel’ like that of a Curlew.

  HABITAT

  Steppes and heaths. In Europe resident only in Spain, and a summer visitor elsewhere. Breeds locally on sandy heaths and adjacent farmland in southern England (East Anglia, Dorset and Hampshire).

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on insects, molluscs, small lizards, seeds and sometimes small mammals. Eggs laid in a bare scrape on the ground.

  Dotterel

  Charadrius morinellus

  Length 22cm. Distinctive plover with an orange lower breast and flanks, white breast-band and vivid white eyebrow. Female brighter than male, and juvenile paler than adult. Breeds on European tundra and mountain meadows. Winters in Spain and north Africa. In Britain breeds only on mountaintops in Scottish Highlands; seen rarely on passage in ‘trips’ or small flocks elsewhere.

  Kentish Plover

  Charadrius alexandrinus

  Length 16cm. Pale dainty plover with a large head, black legs and patches on the sides of its breast. Breeding male has a rufous crown and small black patches on its breast. Like juvenile Ringed Plover. Occurs on sandy beaches and tidal meadows, as well as locally on inland salt lakes. Summer visitor to northern Europe, wintering in Mediterranean. Rare visitor to Britain.

  Ringed Plover

  Charadrius hiaticula

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  19cm. Common shore bird with a black mask and breast band, and a white collar and forehead. Upperparts brown, underparts white. Narrow white wingbar. Black markings more subdued in winter than in summer.

  VOICE

  Calls a liquid ‘tooi’ and ‘kluup’. Trilling song.

  HABITAT

  Breeds on beaches and mudflats; also lake edges or tundra, sometimes inland, in north. Winters mainly on rocky and muddy coasts in western Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Mainly eats insects, worms and molluscs, and some plant matter. Nests in a shallow scrape on the ground.

  Little Ringed Plover

  Charadrius dubius

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  16cm. Very similar to Ringed Plover, but less common, and adults have a golden eyering, duller straw-coloured legs and a black bill. No narrow white wingbar.

  VOICE

  Calls a whistling ‘tiu’. Display or flight call a rough rolling ‘chrechrechrechre’.

  HABITAT

  Inland marshes, lakes and gravel pits. Summer visitor to most of Europe. In Britain fairly common in south, but absent from north.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Diet consists mainly of insects, as well as spiders, freshwater shrimps and other small crustaceans. Nest a shallow scrape on loose sand, dry mud or rocks, or in sparse vegetation, near water.

  Golden Plover

  Pluvialis apricaria

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  28cm. Breeding plumage spangled yellow and brown, with black throat and belly, northern birds being more boldly marked. Outside breeding season black on underparts is absent.

  VOICE

  Liquid whistling call, ‘tlui’. Song a liquid ‘too-roo, too-roo’.

  HABITAT

  Breeds on moorland and tundra in northern Europe. Flocks in winter on farmland and meadows in southern and western Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Eats mostly insects, molluscs and some plant matter. Nest a grass-lined scrape well hidden on the ground.

  Grey Plover

  Pluvialis squatarola

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  28cm. A strikingly handsome plover. Adult in summer has silver-grey black-flecked upperparts, separated from the black face, throat, breast and belly by a wide margin. Winter adult and juvenile paler and duller. Bill and legs black.

  VOICE

  Call a plaintive three-syllable ‘plee-oo-ee’.

  HABITAT

  Mudflats and estuaries along coasts of North Sea, Atlantic and Mediterranean. Breeds on northern tundra. In Britain common on coast and present all year except midsummer.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds mostly on insects, and some plant matter in breeding season; on marine polychaete worms, molluscs and crustaceans in winter. Nest a shallow scrape on dry ground in an exposed stony site.

  Lapwing

  Vanellus vanellus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  30cm. Dark and glossy metallic-green upperparts, white below with a buff undertail, and a long wispy crest. Throat black in breeding season. Juvenile has a short crest. Floppy, loose, broad-winged flight. Tumbling display flight by males in spring.

  VOICE

  Calls ‘peewit’.

  HABITAT

  Farmland, grassland, moorland and marshes; also coasts and estuaries in winter. Winters in southern and western Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Diet includes insects, worms and molluscs, with some vegetable matter. Nests on the ground. Winter flocks may be mixed with Golden Plovers.

  Dunlin


  Calidris alpina

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  19cm. Slightly smaller than Sanderling, with longer bill and less conspicuous white wingbar. Summer plumage scaly black and brown above, and white below with a large black belly patch. In winter it is greyer with a whitish belly.

  VOICE

  Call in flight ‘treep’.

  HABITAT

  Summer visitor or resident breeding on northern tundra, upland moorland, marshes and bogs. Outside breeding season occurs on seashores, mudflats, creeks and estuaries on European coast; also visits inland waters.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on small invertebrates such as molluscs and worms. Nest a grassy cup well hidden on the ground.

  SIMILAR SPECIES

  Pectoral Sandpiper (C. melanotos). 19cm (female) and 22cm (male) long. Legs and base of bill are pale; the densely streaked breast is sharply demarcated from the belly. Call a wooden ‘drrrrk’. Breeds on north-east Siberian and North American tundra. Rare migrant to marshes and mudflats in Europe, including Britain.

  Curlew Sandpiper

  Calidris ferruginea

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  20cm. Elegant sandpiper with a long curved bill, and a long neck and legs. Breeding plumage (rarely seen in Britain) includes a striking deep rufous colour on the breast and head. Juvenile has neatly scaled sandy brown upperparts and white flanks.

  VOICE

  Call a disyllabic ‘chirrip’.

  HABITAT

  Breeds on Russian High Arctic tundra. Migrates via Europe to Africa. In Britain most likely to be seen on passage in spring or autumn.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Diet includes snails, worms and insects. Forages by probing mud rapidly with bill.

  Little Stint

  Calidris minuta

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  15 cm. Tiny wader with black legs and a short, fine black beak. Winter plumage (rarely seen in Britain) soft grey with white underparts. Breeding plumage rufous on head and breast, turning buff-brown by July.

  VOICE

  Call a feeble short ‘pip’.

  HABITAT

  Breeds on tundra in far north. On passage widespread on marshes and mudflats in coastal areas of Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds mainly on insects; also crustaceans and molluscs.

  SIMILAR SPECIES

  Temminck’s Stint (C. temminckii). 14cm long, with a longer body than Little Stint, pale yellow legs and a soft trilling call. Breeds in north European wetlands. Rarer than Little, although a few breed in Scotland.

  Knot

  Calidris canutus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  25cm. A little larger than Dunlin, with a comparatively short bill. Winter plumage is grey. Narrow white wingbar. Breeding plumage is rufous.

  VOICE

  Call ‘knut’.

  HABITAT

  Breeds on High Arctic tundra. Widespread on mudflats on North Sea and Atlantic coasts during migration and winter.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on invertebrates such as insects, molluscs, earthworms and crustaceans. Usually seen in flocks, which can be very large and dense. Spectacular aerial manoeuvres as flocks come in to roost. Nest a grass-lined scrape well hidden on the ground.

  Sanderling

  Calidris alba

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  20cm. Pale grey in winter plumage. Summer plumage scaly brown above and on the breast; white belly shows white wingbar in all plumages.

  VOICE

  In flight, liquid ‘twick, twick’.

  HABITAT

  Breeds further north than Britain, where it is a passage migrant and winter visitor confined to coast.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Distinctive feeding method as it runs in and out on the shore with the movement of the waves, often likened to a clockwork toy. Nest a grassy cup well hidden on the ground.

  Purple Sandpiper

  Calidris maritima

  21cm long. Dark grey plumage, uniform-looking in non-breeding bird and juvenile, scalier-looking in breeding bird, with rufous on the crown, ear-coverts, mantle and sides of the breast, and black- brown spots on the breast and flanks. Stout and decurved bill. Voice a soft ‘kutt, ke-vutt’. Breeds on stony tundra. Winters south to Biscay along rocky coastlines and jetties. Gregarious in non-breeding season, forming small flocks.

  Spotted Redshank

  Tringa erythropus

  30cm long. Breeding birds almost black with a few white spots and a white eye-ring. Non-breeding birds soft grey above and white below. Plain upper wing with no wing bar, barred tail and white patch extending up back, and darker wings than Redshank’s. Call also very different – a clear ‘tchuit’. Passage migrant in Britain, mainly to southern areas. Large gatherings may occur in estuaries and coastal marshes.

  Redshank

  Tringa totanus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  28cm. Grey-brown wader with an orange-red bill and legs. Plumage greyer in winter than in summer. White rump and trailing edges to wings noticeable in flight.

  VOICE

  Variety of yelping calls. Song, ‘tu-udle...’, may be given in flight or from the ground.

  HABITAT

  Breeds on flood meadows, grassland and lowland moors both near coast and inland. Winters on coast, especially estuaries and mudflats. Most widespread on passage.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds mostly on invertebrates. Often perches conspicuously on posts. Nest a deep cup hidden in a grass tussock.

  Greenshank

  Tringa nebularia

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  32cm. A rather pale, grey wader. Legs are green. In flight shows a white tail, rump and lower back.

  VOICE

  Lower pitched call than Redshank. Song, ‘ru-tu, ru-tu ...’, given in flight or while perched.

  HABITAT

  Breeds in north European wetlands and open forests. Widespread on marshes and mudflats during migration.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds almost entirely on invertebrates, amphibians and fish. Nests in a scrape well hidden on the ground.

  Wood Sandpiper

  Tringa glareola

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  20cm. Size and plumage similar to that of Green Sandpiper, but longer legged and more delicate. Upperparts mottled brownish-grey with distinct spotting and clear feather edges. Juvenile slightly darker.

  VOICE

  A dry ‘chiff if if’.

  HABITAT

  Breeds on wetlands in taiga, and during migration found on mudflats and riverbanks in western and southern Europe.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Wades in shallow water, feeding on invertebrates and plants. Nest a grassy scrape well hidden on the ground.

  Green Sandpiper

  Tringa ochropus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  22cm. Medium-sized and relatively robust sandpiper with distinctly contrasting plumage. Upperparts very dark, underparts white with a strongly separated dark breast. Juvenile more heavily speckled than adult.

  VOICE

  Flight call ‘tluit-uit-uit’; warning call ‘tip tip’; song ‘tloo-i tlui’.

  HABITAT

  Mainly passage migrant in northern Europe, including Britain, with a few wintering in southern Britain. Occurs in all types of water body during migration. Breeds in damp forests near fresh water.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Feeds on invertebrates, as well as plant fragments. Often nests high in trees in abandoned nests of passerine birds.

  Common Sandpiper

  Actitis hypoleucos

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  20cm. Small wader with brown upperparts, white underparts, white sides to the rump and tail, and a white wingbar.

  VOICE

  Call in flight ‘twee-wee-wee’. Song more melodious.

  HABITAT

  Upland streams and lochs. In non-breeding season occurs on passage on inland waters such as reservoi
rs and sewage farms, and in coastal areas.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Eats mainly invertebrates, and some plant matter. Flicks tail. Nests in a shallow scrape on the ground.

  Curlew

  Numenius arquata

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  54cm. Largest wader, with a very long decurved bill. Plumage streaked brown. Bigger and more robust than Whimbrel. White ‘V’ shape on rump shows in flight.

  VOICE

  Distinctive liquid call, ‘coor-wee’.

  HABITAT

  Breeds on moors and wet meadows, and winters on mudflats and fields, often on coasts. Resident in Britain.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Eats mainly small invertebrates, fish and plant matter. Long bill enables it to probe mud and sand deeply. Occurs in flocks outside breeding season, but feeds more separately. Nest a grassy cup well hidden on the ground.

  Whimbrel

  Numenius phaeopus

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  41cm. Smaller and more slender than Curlew, with a shorter bill and a markedly striped face, pale crown stripe and dark stripe above the eye. White ‘V’ shape on rump shows in flight.

  VOICE

  Liquid bubbling call.

  HABITAT

  Mostly a passage migrant to Britain, stopping on shores and coasts en route to wintering grounds further south.

  FOOD AND HABITS

  Eats mostly molluscs, worms and crustaceans. Nests in a well-hidden grassy cup on the ground.

  Black-tailed Godwit

  Limosa limosa

  SIZE AND DESCRIPTION

  41cm. Breeding bird has a rufous-coloured breast. Colour outside breeding season grey-brown. In flight, a broad white wingbar and a white band on the tail above a black band distinguish it from Bar-tailed Godwit.