Sandpiper, Terek

Conservation status:

Common Passage Migrant and Winter Visitor

Description:

When standing easily distinguished by grey head and upperparts bordered by dark shoulder bar, carpal-patch and primary-line; white, deep-chested underparts and long, yellow-based, upcurved, rather pointed bill are striking features; the short legs and neck, horizontal carriage, dark breast side and bobbing rear body reminiscent of Common Sandpiper, but orange-yellow legs and bill shape differ markedly. In flight, wings show white trailing edge, which is narrower than that of Redshank, from which it clearly differs in bill-shape, generally paler appearance and darker tail and rump. In juvenile and winter adult, black shoulder bar is faint or absent, and juvenile has buff fringes to upperparts. Feeds with very active movements compared with similar-sized Sandpiper species.