Scientific name: Haematopus ostralegus Linnaeus, 1758
Bird group: Waders
Field characters. 43 cm. A large, black-and-white wader with boldly pied plumage, long orange-red bill and pink legs. Head, breast, back, and wings glossy black, with a broad white wing-band. Underparts and rump white, tail white with a broad terminal black band. In winter plumage, throat with white half collar.
Voice. Usual note a loud, shrill 'tepeet tepeet'. Also a short and sharp "pic-pic" or "kic-kic". Piping "song" is a development of the usual note into a trill.
Distribution. Very common resident and summer visitor along coasts.
Habitat. Generally a bird of sea shores, occupying a wide spectrum of coastal habitats, but it frequents also meadows and arable fields further inland.
Food. Feeds by probing soil for bivalve molluscs (especially cockles, mussels, and baltic tellin). Shells are opened by hammering until broken, or by stabbing bill between gaping valves, thus severing adductor muscles. May also take crabs, bristle worms, insects, eggs and young birds.