This is a very localised breeding bird in the UK; its main stronghold is the Nene Washes near Peterborough where c90% of the UK population is found, mostly on land managed by the RSPB which also has nesting Cranes and Corncrakes (and Snipe, Lapwing and Oystercatcher – the previous three blogs on song in this series). I’d normally be thinking of making a visit around now to hear and see this species, and lots of others, but not this year.
This is the quintessential meadow bird in the Netherlands where the largest European breeding population is found of the subspecies, Limosa limosa limosa, but the second largest is probably in Iceland (unless it’s in Russia) where the islandica subspecies nests.
I’ll miss hearing the wicka-wicka-wicka song this year and so here are recordings from the Netherlands, Iceland and of a captive bird in Norfolk (the best that xenocanto can do, understandably perhaps, for this rare, localised UK breeding bird);
A Dutch bird:
… and an Icelandic bird:
… and that captive bird from Pensthorpe, Norfolk:
Wicka-wicka-wicka!
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