The bird is often spotted with flocks of other small shorebirds, but prefers drier habitats such as the grassy edge of a mudflat, seaweed-covered upper portion of a beach, or sod field.
Birds are an accurate indicator of environmental quality. The coastal wetlands of Longgang are home to a large number of snipers every spring and autumn, while in winter, ducks and gulls are frequenters of the area. Even the near-threatened East Asian population of Dalmatian pelicans and the vulnerable Saunders's gulls have visited the area.
The bird has a black bill, a brown rump, long wings, and buffy-tan plumage. [Photo by Chen Guanghui/66wz.com]
