Page 165 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WADERS
Families Haematopodidae, Recurvirostridae, Burhinidae, Glareolidae, Charadriidae, Scolopacidae
WADERS

ALLED SHOREBIRDS IN North America, especially agile in flight. Long-legged, Avocets
Cand waders in Europe, some live far from and stilts feed in shallow water. Small sandpipers
any shore and several rarely wade.They are mostly can be abundant, flying in large flocks. Some
long-legged but vary from short-billed to very feed on rocky shores, some on sand, others on
long-billed,their beaks straight,curved down,or mud or shallow water. Medium-sized sandpipers
curved upwards. Some are among the world’s have longer legs and bills, are less gregarious, and
longest-distance migrants.This large group have loud calls and striking patterns in flight.
includes the Oystercatcher, avocets, stilts, plovers, Larger godwits have bright summer plumages,
pratincoles, sandpipers, godwits, and curlews. while curlews are much bigger with no clear
differences according to age, sex, or season.
GROUPS
Plovers are short-billed birds: this group includes
broad-winged lapwings and sharp-winged
plovers,some “ringed”with black and white head
and chest patterns. Pratincoles are plover-like but
JUVENILES
Many young waders,
such as this Black-
tailed Godwit, have
colours that echo the
breeding plumage of
their parents.

STUNNING FLOCKS
High-tide roosts bring waders together in dense packs, which
make a spectacular sight when they take flight.

RESTING TIME
Waders such as these
Oystercatchers feed on exposed
beaches, but take an hour or
two to rest every high tide.

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