A dumpy, short-billed wader with spangled yellowish upperparts, white supercilia and belly. In breeding plumage, white extends from forehead to vent in broad band bordering black face and underparts. Stockier, shorter legged and billed than Pacific Golden with white not grey underwings. Grey is larger, lacks yellow and has black armpits. Sexes similar.
An erect, large-bodied and small-headed wader, very variable in plumage and size. In non-breeding plumage, scalloped brownish-grey above with greyish, brownish, or occasionally, in males, white head, neck and breast. The male acquires crown tippets and neck ruff of varying colours in spring. Legs are usually orange, greenish when young. Bill rather short and slightly down-curved. In characteristic, rather easy, flight shows thin wing bars and white ovals on dark rump. Feeds in large, often single sex flocks. Eats insects and grain.
A tiny wader with slightly decurved, black bill and black legs. Size, plumage and bill length varies. In non-breeding plumage, grey above; grey breast sides. Breeding plumage a mix of rufous, black and grey above with rufous-streaked crown and unique black belly patch below black-streaked breast. Has wing bars, black line through white rump, grey tail.
Tiny, short-billed wader with black legs. Nonbreeding adult is finely scalloped grey above with diffuse grey breast sides. When breeding, grey becomes rufous with black feather centres on wings and fine white mantle lines. Throat white. Juvenile plumage similar to adult breeding but less rufous. Mantle lines more prominent, dark-capped with split white supercilia. In flight, thin wing bars and black line on white rump and grey tail.
Smaller than the Greenshank but with dark, needlethin bill. Neatly marked grey above with darker wing shoulder; cap and hind neck are grey; rest of underparts white. In breeding season darker and more marked above; head and neck heavily streaked. Long white back stripe and no wing bars. Feeds on aquatic invertebrates, stepping delicately through water. Mixes with other waders. Fairly tame.
A long-necked and long-billed wader with a slim white back stripe and no wing bars and long red legs. Nonbreeding plumage is lighter grey above with fine black speckles. Head and neck paler with clear but short white supercilia. Underparts white. Long bill dark with red lower mandible and slight downcurve at tip. In breeding plumage, strikingly black on head, neck and underparts and white-spotted dark grey upperparts. Sexes alike.
Sexes alike. A large wader. Sandy-brown upper body, scalloped fulvous and black; white rump and lower back; whitish below, streaked black; very long, down-curved beak. Mostly solitary; feeds with other large waders; runs on ground, between tidemarks, occasionally venturing into very shallow water; a truly wild and wary bird, not easy to approach close.
The smallest and most distinctive snipe, and the only one with a wedge-shaped tail that is not rufous. Short-billed, with distinctive head pattern (split supercilium, with short dark line over eye and no pale central coronal stripe), conspicuous long straight golden scapular and mantle-stripes and streaked breast. In flight, no pale panel on upperwing-coverts; note rounded wings with faint white trailing edges and pointed tail, partly white underwing and extensively white belly.
Male: sandy-buff above, speckled brown and dull yellow; black gorget and chocolate-black belly. Female: buffy above, streaked and barred darker; black-spotted breast; rufous and black-barred belly and flanks. Pointed central tail feathers and black wing-underside distinctive in flight. Huge gatherings at waterholes in dry season; regularly arrives at water; strictly a ground bird, squatting tight or shuffling slowly; rises en masse.
A large, blackish aquatic crake with prominent white bill and frontal shield. Looks tailless. Sootyblack head and neck with a more grey than black body and whitish trailing edge to wings. Sexes alike. Juvenile has whitish throat and foreneck, grey bill with no shield. Greenish feet. Feeds on vegetable matter. Flocks may panic and splatter clumsily across the water. Flies low but strongly, with lobed toes projecting. Builds anchored, floating reed nest.
