Spoon-billed sandpiper

Description

The most distinctive feature of this species is its spatulate bill.The breeding adult bird is 14–16 cm in length,and has a red-brown head,neck and breast with dark brown streaks.It has blackish upperparts with buff and pale rufous fringing.Non-breeding adults lack the reddish colouration,but have pale brownish-grey upperparts with whitish fringing to the wing-coverts.The underparts are white and the legs are black. Bill from the side and above The measurements are;wing 98–106 mm,bill 19–24 mm,bill tip breadth 10–12 mm,tarsus 19–22 mm and tail 37–39 mm. The contact calls of the spoon-billed sandpiper include a quiet preep or a shrill wheer.The song,given during display,is an intermittent buzzing and descending trill preer-prr-prr.The display flight of the male includes brief hovers,circling and rapid diving while singing.