Species:

Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

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Length (cm):
40-45
35-40
Wingspan (cm):
80-86
0-0
Weight (gram):
430-650
150-210
Size group:
Crow-size
Thrush-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Unmistakable shorebird. Large wader with black and white plumage, striking orange-red, straight bill and red orbital ring. Legs pinkish in adults and grey in juveniles. Broad white wing-bars. Stocky build, with fairly short legs and broad chest. Flight pattern straight and level. Winter plumage with white half-collar on chin. Juveniles with browner tone to upperparts than adults, and black tip of bill.

Sound:

Very vocal. Sharp, loud and far carrying, disyllabic or monosyllabic calls "ku-eek" or "kleek". Often works itself up into a crescendos of fast, piping calls, and then mellows out.

Song/display:

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

Appearance:

Unmistakable due to the extremely long, red legs. High contrast plumage with pointed, black wings (both upper and under-side) and white underparts. Tail white, with white wedge extending up back. Back of adult male sooty black, while brownish black in female and immature. Head all white or with black markings independent of sex (males more often have black markings than females though). Immature with faint, pale fringes to coverts, and white trailing edge to secondaries visible in flight.

Sound:

Most vocal at breeding ground. Various short,sharp "kyp" may resemble both Avocet, Coot and Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus). While a tern-like "kee-arr" is more distinct. Note that immature birds have a different contact call closely resembling Wood Sandpiper, but do not utter it in series.

Contact calls:

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

Similar species (image):
Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Waders
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Waders
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Several different images of the species
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Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file