Photo by jenygard
- Haematopus ostralegus
Identification
- Black above
- White below
- White wing and tail patches
- Red legs
- Strong broad red bill
- Juvenile - brown with white neck band and dull bill.
Distribution
Eurasia. Rare migrant on Greenland. Accidental vagrant to Newfoundland (several records).
Taxonomy
Subspecies
- H. o. ostralegus - Iceland and Scandinavia to south Europe; winters to Africa
- H. o. longipes - Russia to Siberia and south to Caspian Sea and Aral Sea
- H. o. osculans - Kamchatka Peninsula and North Korea; winters east China
Habitat
Beaches and coast in winter. Breeds in upload grassy areas.
Behaviour
The diet includes molluscs, mussels and earthworms.
They nest in a scrape on pebbles or the coast; 2-4 eggs are laid.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Haematopus ostralegus (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
Wikipedia
External Links
