Sandpipers & Snipes
Sandpipers are the largest shorebird family in Malaysia and are subdivided into six subfamilies: Curlews & Whimbrels; Godwits & Dowitchers; Small Sandpipers & Turnstone; Woodcock & Snipes; Phalaropes; and Large Sandpipers. Characterised by a diversity of bill shapes and lengths and are generally associated with mud and other soft substrates.

Asian Dowitcher
Similar in size to Black-tailed Godwit, with black legs intermediate in length between Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits. Bill largely black, straight and slightly blob-tipped.

Australian Pratincole

Bar-tailed Godwit
Large, streak-backed shorebird with very long, pink-based, slightly upturned bill and relatively short black legs.
Barred Buttonquail

Beach Thick-knee

Black-tailed Godwit
Small, neat, long-legged godwit with long, straight, blob-tipped, pink-based bill.

Black-winged Stilt
Medium-sized black-and-white shorebird with extremely long pink legs.

Broad-billed Sandpiper
Small, short-legged, stint-like sandpiper with longish, thick bill which droops at the tip. Bold head pattern in all plumages.

Bronze-winged Jacana

Common Greenshank
Elegant white and grey/brown sandpiper with medium-length, slightly upcurved bill and long green-yellow legs. In flight, toes project beyond tail. From above, plain darkish wings and scapulars contrast with white back and rump and whitish, barred tail. From below, wing coverts well-barred.

Common Redshank
Brown and white sandpiper with long red legs and basal half of bill. In flight, from above, white back, rump, barred tail and broad white trailing edge to inner wing. From below, underwing coverts unmarked white.

Common Ringed Plover

Common Sandpiper
Short-legged, long-tailed shorebird with mid-length, straight bill. Distinctive white ‘spur’ at the wing shoulder. Near-constant bobbing of rear end and stiff-winged flight characteristic.

Common Snipe
Cryptically patterned, long-billed snipe with prominent white trailing wing edge in flight.

Crab-Plover

Curlew Sandpiper
Small, elegant sandpiper with finely tapered, decurved bill (longer than head) and longish black legs.

Dunlin

Eurasian Curlew
Very large, mid-brown shorebird with very long, downcurved bill. In flight, white rump and back and unmarked white underwing coverts are diagnostic

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Eurasian Woodcock

Far Eastern Curlew
Very large, brown shorebird with very long, downcurved bill.

Great Knot
Medium-sized, stocky shorebird with tapered and slightly decurved bill, usually longer than head, and shortish olive-green legs.

Greater Painted-Snipe

Greater Sand-Plover
Very similar to Tibetan Sand-Plover, but slightly larger, longer-legged and with different proportions.

Green Sandpiper

Grey Plover
The largest Pluvialis plover, heavily spangled upperparts lack strong yellow tones.

Grey-headed Lapwing
Brown, grey-headed lapwing with black pectoral band (adults), black-tipped yellow bill and long yellow legs.

Grey-tailed Tattler
Medium-sized, long-bodied shorebird; grey above, with short yellow legs and medium length, straight or slightly decurved bill. In flight, uniform grey above; legs do not project beyond tail. Below, dark grey underwing and whitish belly.

Kentish Plover
Small plover with white collar, plain pale brown upperparts. Shorter legs than sand-plovers. Breastband usually incomplete.

Little Ringed Plover
Small plover with white collar, yellow eye-ring, dark brown upperparts, dark mask, complete breast band, pink or yellow legs, elongated body.

Little Stint
Plump, small-headed, fine-billed, relatively long-legged stint.

Little Whimbrel

Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Plover

Long-toed Stint
Brown, yellow-legged stint with heavily streaked breast.

Malaysian Plover
Small plover with white collar, variegated pale brown upperparts and pale pinkish or yellowish legs.

Marsh Sandpiper
Delicate, elegant sandpiper with long yellowish legs and needle-like bill. White supercilium and darker cap evident in most plumages. In flight, entire foot projects beyond tail and underwing coverts are mostly white.

Nordmann’s Greenshank
Chunky greenshank with thick, slightly upcurved bill with relatively short, yellow legs. Often appears strikingly pale. In flight, toes barely project beyond tail; tail often appears white, and underwing coverts are pure white and unbarred.

Northern Lapwing

Oriental Plover

Oriental Pratincole
Unique, tern-like shorebird with short thick bill, long wings, forked tail and graceful flight. In flight, has white rump and white, black-tipped forked tail. From below, underwing coverts rich russet brown.

Pacific Golden Plover
The smaller of the Pluvialis plovers, heavily spangled upperparts are generally yellow-toned. Elegant, with long legs and rather fine, sharp-tipped bill.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Pied Avocet

Pied Stilt
Similar in most respects to Black-winged Stilt. Most obvious differences are a well-marked black nuchal ‘mane’ and clear white head, and deeper, puppy-like call.

Pin-tailed Snipe
Cryptically plumaged, chunky, short-tailed snipe lacking white trailing edge to wing; has 24-28 tail feathers; the outer 6-8 pairs are very narrow ‘pins’.

Red Knot
Medium-sized, stocky shorebird with short, straight bill and short, olive-coloured legs.

Red Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope
Stint-sized, squat shorebird with short pale blue legs, lobed toes and needle-like black bill.

Red-necked Stint
Long-bodied, black-legged stint most numerous on intertidal mudflats.

Red-wattled Lapwing
Large, noisy, elegant, boldly-coloured lapwing with very long, yellow legs and red facial skin and bill base.

Ruddy Turnstone
Small, stocky shorebird with dark breastband, short orange legs and unique wedge-shaped bill.

Ruff
Medium-sized shorebird with short, slightly decurved bill, small head and medium length olive to orange-coloured legs.

Sanderling
A chunky, stint-like shorebird with black legs, large head and no hind toes.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Siberian Sand Plover

Small Buttonquail

Small Pratincole

Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Spotted Redshank

Swinhoe’s Snipe

Temminck’s Stint
Featureless grey, long-bodied stint with yellow legs.

Terek Sandpiper
A robust, grey-and-white shorebird with long upcurved, orange-based bill and short, bright orange legs.

Tibetan Sand Plover
Larger and longer-legged than ‘white-collared’ plovers.

Whimbrel
Large, dark brown, heavily streaked shorebird with strongly downcurved bill and grey or greyish-blue legs.

White-faced Plover
Similar to Kentish Plover, but heavier-billed and paler above, with shorter lateral breast patches, broader white nuchal collar; lores and lower ear coverts mostly white.

Wood Sandpiper
Elegant sandpiper with long yellowish legs and medium length, straight bill. Upperparts dark brown, spangled with white spots. In flight, above, wings and back dark; square white rump and barred tail. Below, underwing coverts are finely barred. Feet project beyond tail in flight.

Yellow-legged Buttonquail

Yellow-wattled Lapwing

