Shorebirds Flashcards
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Group: Gulls and terns
UK Conservation status: Not assessed
This delightful chattering seabird is the UK’s smallest tern. It is short-tailed and has a fast flight. Its bill is a distinctive yellow with a black tip. It’s noisy in breeding groups, where it also performs its elaborate aerial display. The male calls and carries a fish to attract a mate, who then chases him up high before he descends, gliding with wings in a ‘V’. Its vulnerable nesting sites and its decline in Europe make it an Amber List species. It is also listed as a Schedule 1 species in The Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Group: Gulls and terns
UK Conservation status: Amber
With its long tail streamers and streamlined shape, the Arctic Tern deserves its local name of ‘sea swallow’. White with a black cap, it’s a largely coastal bird, although it can be seen inland during migration. Arctic Terns depend on healthy marine environments, and some colonies have been affected by fish shortages. Arctic Terns are the ultimate distance migrants, flying between the UK and the Antarctic every year!
Roseate Tern
Sterna dougallii
Group: Gulls and terns
UK Conservation status: Red
The Roseate is a similar size to a Common Tern but very white-looking, with tail-streamers, a black cap and a black beak with a reddish base. In summer, adults have a pinkish tinge to their underparts which gives them their name. It’s one of our rarest seabirds and its severe, long-lasting and well-documented decline make it a Red List species. It is also listed under Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Group: Gulls and terns
UK Conservation status: Amber
Common Tern
These delightful silvery-grey and white birds have long tails which have earned them the nickname ‘sea-swallow’. They have a graceful, floating flight and frequently hover over water before plunging down for fish. They often gather and breed in noisy groups. The Common Tern is the tern species most often found inland.
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Group: Gulls and terns
UK Conservation status: Amber
Sandwich Tern
The Sandwich Tern is mostly white, with a black cap on its head, a black bill with a yellow tip and short black legs. In flight, it shows grey wedges on its wing tips and it has a forked tail. In the UK, many of the important groups survive because they’re on nature reserves.
Sanderling
Calidris alba
Group: Sandpipers, snipes and phalaropes
UK Conservation status: Amber
The Sanderling is a small, plump, energetic wading bird. It has a short and straight black bill and medium length black legs. It’s pale grey on top and white underneath, and has a black mark on its shoulder where the folded wing meets the body. It does not breed in the UK, but is a winter visitor and passage migrant in spring and autumn, journeying to and from its high Arctic breeding grounds
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula
Group: Plovers
UK Conservation status: Red
The Ringed Plover is a small, dumpy, short-legged wading bird. It’s brownish grey above and whitish below. It has an orange bill, tipped with black, orange legs and a black-and-white pattern on its head and breast. In flight, it shows a broad, white wing-stripe. They mostly breed on beaches around the coast, but they have also now begun breeding inland in sand and gravel pits and former industrial sites. Many UK birds live here all year round, but birds from Europe winter in Britain, and birds from Greenland and Canada pass through on migration.
Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegus
Group: Oystercatchers
UK Conservation status: Not assessed
The Oystercatcher is a large, stocky, black and white wading bird. It has an orange-red bill and reddish-pink legs. In flight it shows a wide, white wing-stripe, a black tail and a white rump that extends as a ‘V’ between the wings. Because it eats cockles, the population is vulnerable if cockle beds are overfished. They breed on almost all UK coasts. During the last 50 years, more birds have started breeding inland. Most UK birds spend the winter on the coast where they are joined on the east coast by birds from Norway.
Curlew
Numenius arquata
Group: Sandpipers, snipes and phalaropes
UK Conservation status: Red.
The Curlew is the largest European wading bird, found on estuaries in winter and moors in summer. Look for its down-curved bill, brown upperparts, long legs and listen for its evocative, bubbling, call. In the winter, you’ll see Curlews feeding in groups on tidal mudflats, saltmarshes and nearby farmland. While some of our birds spend the winter in Ireland and France, we get an influx of Scandinavian-breeding Curlews here, who make the most of our relatively mild winters. In the spring and summer, Curlews migrate to their breeding grounds in upland areas of rough pasture, heather moorland and wetland. Curlews breed on a range of habitats, but like rough grasslands, moorlands and bogs best of all. Intensive farming practices, including drainage and reseeding, are likely to have contributed to declines in breeding populations, as has the turning of areas of moorlands into forest. Together, these activities are having a huge impact on Curlew populations. Curlew numbers are also impacted by nest predators, mainly foxes, who take eggs, chicks and adult birds. Like many wading birds, Curlews lay their eggs in a nest on the ground known as a ‘scrape’. The parents incubate the eggs for about four weeks, before the young leave the nest and roam around with their parents for a further four weeks until fledging. The UK breeding population of Curlews is of international importance, with around 30% of the west European population spending winter in the UK. Despite this, there have been worrying declines in the breeding population in much of the UK. In 2015, Curlews were added to the Red List on the UK Conservation Status Report. Curlews are struggling, with big declines in breeding populations and ranges. They urgently need our help.
Redshank
Tringa totanus
Group: Sandpipers, snipes and phalaropes
UK Conservation status: Not assessed
As its name suggests, Redshanks’ most distinctive features are their bright orange-red legs. They have a medium-length bill and an orange base to match. Their back and wings are brown and speckled, while their belly is paler in colour.
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica
Group: Sandpipers, snipes and phalaropes
UK Conservation status: Amber
The Bar-tailed Godwit is a long-billed, long-legged wading bird, which visits UK shores for the winter. Most usually seen in its grey-brown winter plumage, birds in spring may show their full rich chestnut breeding plumage. In flight it shows a white patch stretching from the rump up the back, narrowing to a point. It breeds in the Arctic of Scandinavia and Siberia and hundreds of thousands of them pass through the UK, on their way further south, or stop off here for the winter.
Dunlin
Calidris alpina
Group: Sandpipers, snipes and phalaropes
UK Conservation status: Red
This is the most common small wader found along the coast. It has a slightly down-curved bill and a distinctive black belly patch when in its breeding plumage. It feeds in flocks in winter, sometimes numbering thousands, roosting on nearby fields, saltmarshes and shorelines when the tide is high.
Purple Sandpiper
Calidris maritima
Group: Sandpipers, snipes and phalaropes
UK Conservation status: Red
The Purple Sandpiper is a medium-sized wading bird that is larger, stockier and darker than a Dunlin. It is mainly dark grey above and whitish below. It has a downcurved beak and bright orange legs. In flight, it shows a white wing-stripe. A couple of pairs nest in Scotland, but this species is mainly a winter visitor to almost any rocky coast in the UK. Most are found in Orkney, Shetland and along the east coast of Scotland and northern England – it is rare south of Yorkshire, except in Devon and Cornwall. The breeding areas in Scotland are kept secret to protect the birds from egg thieves and disturbance. It is listed on Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Turnstone
Arenaria interpres
Group: Sandpipers, snipes and phalaropes
UK Conservation status: Amber
Smaller than a Redshank, Turnstones have a mottled appearance with brown or chestnut and black upperparts and brown and white or black and white head pattern, whilst their underparts are white and legs orange. They spend most of their time creeping and fluttering over rocks, picking out food from under stones.
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Group: Plovers
UK Conservation status: Not assessed
In summer, it has silver and black spotted upperparts, a black face, neck and belly. In winter, it loses the black feathers and takes on a browny-grey look. In both plumages, the rump is white and in flight in winter it shows distinctive black ‘armpits’. Like most plovers it stands very upright and tends to run and then suddenly stop to feed. It is generally seen in small numbers, although flocks can form when there is a high tide.
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricaria
Group: Plovers
UK Conservation status: Green
The Golden Plover is a medium-sized plover with a distinctive gold and black summer plumage. In winter the black is replaced by light brown and white. They typically stand upright and run in short bursts. They are very shy and wary while on breeding grounds. In winter they form large flocks which fly close together with rapid, twinkling wingbeats.
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalis
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Red
The Long-tailed Duck is a small, neat sea duck. They have small round heads and steep foreheads. In winter, the male is mainly white with some brownish-black markings. It also has greatly elongated tail feathers which give it its name. Females are browner. When in flight, they show their all dark wings and white bellies. They don’t breed in the UK, but protection of their wintering sites is important, because they’re vulnerable to oil pollution at sea. They’re a winter visitor and passage migrant to the UK, most commonly from Northumberland to northern Scotland. Long-tailed Ducks are listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Wigeon
Anas penelope
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Amber
The Wigeon is a medium-sized duck with a round head and small bill. The head and neck of the male are chestnut, with a yellow forehead, pink breast and grey body. In flight, Wigeons show white bellies, male Wigeons also have a large white wing patch. Wigeons breed in central and northern Scotland and also in northern England. Many birds visit the UK over winter from Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia. With large numbers of wintering birds at a few UK sites, it is an Amber List species.
Eider
Somateria mollissima
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Amber
The Eider is the UK’s heaviest and fastest flying duck. It’s a true seaduck, rarely found away from coasts. Its reliance on coastal shellfish for food has brought it into conflict with mussel farmers. Eiders are very sociable and usually stay close to shore, riding the swell in a sandy bay or strung out in long lines beyond the breaking waves. It is an Amber List species because of its winter concentrations.
Teal
Anas crecca
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Amber
Teals are small dabbling ducks. Males have chestnut coloured heads with broad green eye-patches, a spotted chest, grey lower sides and a black edged yellow tail. Females are mottled brown. Both show bright green wing patches (speculum) in flight. They are thinly distributed as a breeding species with a preference for northern moors and mires. In winter, birds gather in low-lying wetland in the south and west of the UK. Of these, many are continental birds from around the Baltic and Siberia. At this time, the UK is home to a significant percentage of the north-west European wintering population making it an Amber List species.
Shelduck
Tadorna tadorna
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Amber
This is a big, colourful duck, bigger than a Mallard but smaller than a goose. Both males and females have a dark green head and neck, a chestnut belly stripe and a red bill.
Shoveler
Anas clypeata
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Amber
Shovelers are surface feeding ducks with huge spatula-shaped bills. Males have dark green heads, with white breasts and chestnut flanks. Females are mottled brown. In flight, birds show patches of light blue and green on their wings. In the UK, they breed in southern and eastern England, especially around the Ouse Washes, the Humber and the North Kent Marshes and in much smaller numbers in Scotland and western parts of England. In winter, breeding birds move south, and are replaced by an influx of continental birds from further north. The UK is home to more than 20 percent of the north-west European population, making it an Amber List species.
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Not assessed
These handsome diving ducks belong to the sawbill family, named for their serrated bills, used for catching fish. Their diet of fish like Salmon and Trout has brought them into conflict with game fishermen. At home on both fresh and saltwater, Red-breasted Mergansers are most commonly seen around the UK’s coastline in winter. They are very sociable, forming flocks of several hundreds in the autumn.
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigra
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Red
The Common Scoter is a dark-coloured seaduck, the male is totally black and the female lighter, with a pale face. They are often seen as large bobbing rafts offshore, or long straggling lines flying along the coast. The UK breeding population of this small diving seaduck has fallen significantly and it’s now a Red List species. It’s listed as a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. It’s vulnerable to oil spills in winter.
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnus
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Amber
The Whooper Swan is a large white swan, bigger than a Bewick’s Swan. It has a long neck, which it usually holds erect, and black legs. Its black bill has a large triangular patch of yellow on it. It is mainly a winter visitor to the UK from Iceland, although a small number of pairs nest in the north. The estuaries and wetland it visits on migration and for winter roosts need protection. Its winter population and small breeding numbers make it an Amber List species. It is also a Schedule 1 listed bird, meaning it is illegal to disturb them.
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Green
The Mute Swan is a very large white waterbird. It has an S-shaped neck and an orange bill with a black base and a black bump. It flies with its neck outstretched, making regular, slow wingbeats. The population in the UK has increased recently, perhaps due to better protection of this species. The problem of lead poisoning on lowland rivers has also largely been solved by a ban on the sale of lead fishing weights. Some birds stay in their territories all year, while others move long distances and form winter flocks. In cold weather, some birds arrive from Europe into eastern England
Brent Goose
Branta bernicla
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Amber
The Brent Goose is a small, dark goose - of similar size to a Mallard. It has a black head and neck and grey-brown back, with either a pale or dark belly, depending on the sub-species. Adults have a small white neck patch. It flies in loose flocks along the coast, rather than in tight skeins like Grey Geese. It is an Amber List species because of the important numbers found at just a few sites.
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsis
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Amber
The Barnacle Goose is a medium-sized, sociable goose, with a black head, neck and breast and a creamy-white face. This contrasts with the white belly, blue-grey barred back and black tail. Barnacle Geese fly in packs and long lines, with a noisy chorus of barking or yapping sounds.
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchus
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Not assessed
The Pink-footed Goose is a medium-sized goose, smaller than a Mute Swan but bigger than a Mallard. It is pinkish grey with a dark head and neck, a pink bill and pink feet and legs. This species does not breed in the UK, but large numbers of birds spend the winter here, arriving from their breeding grounds in Spitsbergen, Iceland and Greenland. Numbers in England are on the increase, particularly in Norfolk, probably due to better protection at winter roosts.
Greylag Goose
Anser anser
Group: Ducks, geese and swans
UK Conservation status: Amber
The ancestor of most domestic geese, the Greylag is the largest and bulkiest of the wild goose native to the UK and Europe. In many parts of the UK, it has been re-established by releasing birds in suitable areas. The resulting flocks (often mixed with Canada Geese) are found around gravel pits, lakes and reservoirs all year round in southern Britain. They tend to be semi-tame which can make them a little uninspiring. The native birds and wintering flocks found in Scotland have the special appeal of truly wild geese. Greylag Geese are listed in Schedule 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, meaning they can be killed or taken outside of the close season.
Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
Group: Gulls and terns
UK Conservation status: Red
Herring Gulls are large, noisy gulls found throughout the year around our coasts and inland around rubbish tips, fields, large reservoirs and lakes, especially during winter. Adults have light grey backs, white under parts, and black wing tips with white ‘mirrors’. Their legs are pink with webbed feet and they have heavy, slightly curved bills marked with a red spot. Young birds are mottled brown. This species is on the Red List due to ongoing population declines and wintering population declines.
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
Group: Gulls and terns
UK Conservation status: Not assessed
Slightly smaller than a Herring Gull, the Lesser Black-backed Gull has a dark grey to black back and wings, yellow bill and yellow legs. Their world population is found entirely in Europe. After declines in the 19th century due to persecution, they increased their range and numbers. But this trend is beginning to reverse and there is serious concern about declines in many parts of its range. The UK is home to 40% of the European population most of which are found at a handful of sites. This means the species is now on the Amber List.
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Group: Gulls and terns
UK Conservation status: Amber
Not really a black-headed bird, the Black-headed Gull’s head is more chocolate-brown. In fact, for much of the year, it has a white head. It’s most commonly found almost anywhere inland. Black-headed Gulls are sociable, quarrelsome, noisy birds, usually seen in small groups or flocks, often gathering into larger parties where there is plenty of food, or when they are roosting.
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinus
Group: Gulls and terns
UK Conservation status: Amber
A very large, thick-set black-backed gull, with a powerful beak. Adults are blacker than the smaller Lesser Black-backed Gull. It has a heavy flight and can look quite hunched when perched. It will fight off other gulls and chase them to snatch food.
