- Limosa limosa
Identification
Blue-grey legs, very long straight bill with a slight upward curve and pink at the base, brick red neck, breast and belly in breeding plumage, off white in winter, back is mottled grey.
Distribution
Breeds in northern Palearctic; winters to southern Africa, southern Asia and Australia.
Taxonomy
Subspecies1
- L. l. islandica - breeds Iceland, Faroe Islands and Shetland Islands; winters to sw Europe
- L. l. limosa - breeds W Palearctic; winters to sub-Saharan Africa and India
- L. l. melanuroides - breeds E Palearctic; winters to SE Asia, Philippines and Australia
Habitat
Temperate freshwater wetlands with open grassland.
Behaviour
The diet includes insects, worms, snails, insects, crustaceans, and parts of aquatic plants.
They nest on the ground, usually in short vegetation, laying 3-6 eggs.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Limosa limosa (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
External Links