Broad-billed Sandpiper

The Broad-billed Sandpiper, Limicola falcinellus is a small wader.

This bird's breeding habitat is wet taiga bogs in arctic northern Europe and Siberia. The male performs an aerial display during courtship. They nest in a ground iscrape, laying 4 eggs.

Broad-billed Sandpiper is strongly migratory, wintering from easternmost Africa, through south and southeast Asia to Australasia. It is highly gregarious, and will form flocks with Calidris waders, particularly Dunlin. Despite its European breeding range, this species is rare on passage in western Europe, presumably because of the southeasterly migration route.

These birds forage in soft mud on marshes and the coast, mainly picking up food by sight. They mostly eat insects and other small invertebrates.

These birds are small waders, slightly smaller than Dunlin, but with a longer straighter bill, and shorter legs. The breeding adult has patterned dark grey upperparts and white underparts with blackish markings on the breast. It has a pale crown stripe and supercilia.

In winter, this bird is pale grey above and white below, like a winter Dunlin, but retains the head pattern. Juveniles have backs, similar to young Dunlin, but the white flanks and belly and brown-streaked breast are distinctive.