This species is uncommon. It inhabits inland wetlands and salt-marshes in moist areas. It is migratory, and it has breeding subspecies across different regions, ranging from Western Europe to Central Europe, and another from Central Europe to East Asia. For wintering, it migrates in a large flock to Cameroon, France, India, and Australia. It breeds during April-June, in semi-colonies. It mainly forages on insects, worms, and aquatic invertebrates (BirdLife International 2017).

Conservation Status:   

This species is listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/)


According to the IUCN Red List assessment, the population of this species is declining and its current population size is unknown. The threats to its persistence come from habitat disturbance (due to drainage and agriculture), predator attacks, unavailability of food, and harsh climatic conditions (BirdLife International 2017).