The islandica race of this species breeds in Shetland, Faeroes and Lofoten Islands as well as Iceland. It winters in large numbers in Ireland; primarily in muddy estuaries (the scientific name is derived from the Latin for mud - limus) and has bred on occasion in the Shannon Callows.
The islandica race has a shorter bill and more extensive rufous plumage than the nominate race. This bird is moulting from winter to breeding plumage.
widespread in subarctic and temperate wet grassland: Iceland, Faroe Is., British Isles, Scandinavia s to sw France, e through nw Russia, n Kazakhstan, n Mongolia e to Chukotskiy Pen., Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Amurland (e Russia) and Inner Mongolia (ne Chin
Nonbreeding Range Subregions
AF, OR, AU : coastal and inland temperate to tropical wetlands: s British Isles, s Europe, Macaronesia (nw of n Africa; scarce), Africa (except s), Middle East, s, se Asia, Indonesian Arch., s New Guinea, Australia; Ryukyu Is. (=Nansei Shoto, s Japan), Ta
Africa (entire continent rather than south of Sahara)
AN
Antarctica
AO
Atlantic Ocean
AU
Australasia (Wallacea (Indonesian islands east of Wallace's line), New Guinea and its islands, Australia, New Zealand and its subantarctic islands, the Solomons, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu)
PAL
Eurasia (Europe, Asia from the Middle East through central Asia north of the Himalayas, Siberia and northern China to Japan)
IO
Indian Ocean
LA
Latin America (Middle and South America)
MA
Middle America (Mexico through Panama)
NA
North America (includes the Caribbean)
NO
Northern oceans
OR
Oriental Region (South Asia from Pakistan to Taiwan, plus Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Greater Sundas)
