- Lifespan
- 12–20 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 23–26 cm, wingspan 47–54 cm; 100–180 g
- Habitat
- Coastal mudflats, sandy beaches, and estuaries during winter; Arctic tundra for breeding.
- UK Distribution
- Winter visitor to UK coasts, particularly abundant on estuaries and intertidal zones from August to May. Small numbers occasionally remain through summer.
- Diet
- Invertebrates including small molluscs, crustaceans, and marine worms found in mud and sand.
- Prey
- Small bivalves (cockles, mussels), amphipods, and polychaete worms extracted from sediment
- Predators
- Peregrine falcon, merlin, white-tailed eagle, and occasionally foxes and stoats
- Mating Season
- May to July (on Arctic breeding grounds)
- Breeding
- Clutch of 4 eggs, incubation period 21–22 days, single brood per season. Does not breed in the UK.
- Behaviour
- Highly gregarious, forming large flocks on coastal feeding grounds and roosting sites. Undertakes one of the longest migrations of any bird, travelling between Arctic breeding grounds and wintering sites. Exhibits remarkable synchronised flight in flocks.