Best time to see: mid Jul to end Apr

Key facts

Large long-legged wader of estuarine habitat with a long straight bill

Habitat: estuaries, marshes and flooded fields

Common winter visitor but scarce breeder in UK; main population in E. and N. Europe

Recognition

Long-legged with long straight bill; speckled grey and chestnut upperparts, chestnut below; black legs; 40 cm

Normally seen feeding bill down in mud or water

Eats worms, molluscs and insects; in flight shows black-and-white wingbar

Lifecycle

Nest is a lined scrape on ground

1 Brood April - June; 4 green eggs blotched brown