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Leading Streak Today

Your Streak Today

Leading Streak Today

Your Streak Today

Here is the largest European wading bird but do you recognise it?

British Birds - Dippers, Divers and Sandpipers

Dippers are unique among passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater. Divers are excellent swimmers, using their feet to propel themselves above and under water while their wings provide assistance. Most species of sandpipers nest in open areas, and defend their territories with aerial displays.

1 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Mark Medcalf

Black-throated Diver

Little Stint

European Dipper

Dunlin

Group: Dippers
Binomial: Cinclus cinclus
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cinclidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
Flies rapidly and straight, its short wings whirring swiftly and without pauses or glides.
When displaying, the male will take long and high flights accompanied by sharp metallic calls.

2 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Mdf

Jack Snipe

Red-throated Diver

Dunlin

European Dipper

Group: Sandpipers and allies
Binomial: Calidris alpina
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Status: Winter Visitor And Passage Migrant
Highly gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches.
Large numbers can often be seen swirling in synchronized flight.

3 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Loon

Great Northern Diver

European Dipper

Dunlin

Curlew

Group: Divers
Binomial: Gavia immer
Order: Galliformes
Family: Gaviidae
Status: Winter Visitor
This species is a specialist fish-eater, diving as deep as 60 m.
It flies with its neck outstretched, usually calling a particular tremolo.
Its call has been called 'haunting' and 'enchanting'.

4 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of David Karna

Curlew

European Dipper

Red-throated Diver

Great Northern Diver

Group: Divers
Binomial: Gavia stellata
Order: Galliformes
Family: Gaviidae
Status: Resident Breeder And Winter Visitor
They usually jump up to dive and can stay underwater for a minute and a half.
It is the only species of its kind able to take off directly from land.

5 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Oldbilluk

Black-throated Diver

Jack Snipe

Red-throated Diver

Dunlin

Group: Sandpipers and allies
Binomial: Lymnocryptes minimus
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Status: Winter Visitor & Passage Migrant
A secretive bird and when approached it tends to crouch down, relying on its camouflaged plumage.
When feeding it has a characteristic 'bouncing' motion, as if on a spring.

6 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Carley, Curtis

Great Northern Diver

Black-throated Diver

Dunlin

Jack Snipe

Group: Divers
Binomial: Gavia arctica
Order: Galliformes
Family: Gaviidae
Status: Resident Breeder And Winter Visitor
These streamlined diving birds sit low in the water and dive with consummate ease.
Calls include a yodelling high-pitched wail and harsh growls.

7 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of J M Garg

Dunlin

Woodcock

Common Snipe

Curlew

Group: Sandpipers and allies
Binomial: Gallinago gallinago
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species And Summer Visitor
The male performs 'winnowing' displays during courtship, flying high in circles and then taking shallow dives to produce a 'drumming' sound by vibrating its tail feathers.

8 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of Ronald Sl at Wikipedia

Black-throated Diver

European Dipper

Eurasian Woodcock

Common Snipe

Group: Sandpipers and allies
Binomial: Scolopax rusticola
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
A large bulky wading bird.
Largely nocturnal, spending most of the day in dense cover.
Their eyes are located on the sides of their heads, which gives them 360 degree vision.

9 .

What is the name of this bird?

Photograph courtesy of http://www.naturespicsonline.com/

Curlew

Woodcock

Jack Snipe

Great Northern Diver

Group: Sandpipers and allies
Binomial: Numenius arquata
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Status: Resident Breeding Species
The largest European wading bird.
Instantly recognisable on winter estuaries or summer moors by its long, downcurved bill, brown upperparts, long legs and evocative call.
Coastal numbers build up from July.