What they like

Bare ground. Open sand, gravel and silt along ponds and rivers. Also at home on construction sites, reclaimed land and gravel roofs. Create a “mini-beach” in your garden or park: a sunny patch with coarse sand and some pebbles, without vegetation. Manage banks roughly but leave one edge low and open. In farmland: leave wide, bare margins around temporary wet patches and avoid sowing every corner.

Ecological importance

Feeds mainly on insects, larvae and small snails. Cleans up the little creepers along the water’s edge. It’s a tasty snack for crows, gulls and foxes; a bit of cover nearby helps, but the nest is placed out in the open.

When in the Netherlands

March to September. Breeds here. Leaves in late summer.

Status

Breeding bird that is struggling due to disturbance and the loss of open, bare spots. Leave it alone: keep dogs on a lead, no festivals on the mini-beach, and mark breeding spots during site work.