They 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 their legs orange.

All around the UK coastline. Likes rocky shores as well as sandy and muddy ones. Particularly likes feeding on rocks covered with seaweed, and will feed along seawalls and jetties. They spend most of their time creeping and fluttering over rocks, picking out food from under stones.

Present for most of the year. Birds from Northern Europe pass through in July and August and again in the spring. Canadian and Greenland birds arrive in August and September and remain until April and May. Non-breeding birds may stay through the summer.

Scarce breeder, passage/winter visitor. Wintering population of around 48,000 birds.

Scarce spring and autumn passage migrant, very rare winter visitor. Most records from Rutland Water and Eyebrook Reservoir.