- Lifespan
- 15–20 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 37–41 cm, wingspan 70–82 cm; 190–340 g
- Habitat
- Breeds on open tundra and moorland; winters on coastal mudflats, estuaries, and sandy shores.
- UK Distribution
- Passage migrant and winter visitor to UK coasts, particularly abundant on estuaries from August to April. Small numbers breed in northern Scotland.
- Diet
- Probes soft mud and sand for invertebrates, primarily worms, molluscs, crustaceans, and insect larvae.
- Prey
- Lugworms, ragworms, small bivalves, amphipods, and chironomid larvae
- Predators
- Peregrine falcons, white-tailed eagles, and occasionally foxes and corvids
- Mating Season
- May to July
- Breeding
- Clutch of 4 eggs, incubation period 20–21 days, single brood. Chicks fledge at 30–35 days.
- Behaviour
- Highly migratory, with populations travelling up to 11,000 km from Arctic breeding grounds to African wintering grounds. Often seen in flocks on coastal roosts, particularly at high tide. Males display elaborate aerial courtship with distinctive calls.