Wildlife
Shorebirds are an order of birds known as the charadriiformes. It contains birds as diverse as waders, gulls and puffins, and a few types that live far away from water.
Scientific name: Charadriiformes
Rank: Order
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Winter waders
Most of Europe's wading birds spend the winter on Britain's tidal mudflats.
Most of Europe's wading birds spend the winter on Britain's tidal mudflats.
Scilly birds
The Scilly Isles provide a stopover for migratory birds.
The Scilly Isles provide a stopover for migratory birds.
Rotten luck
Rotting seaweed may smell bad, but it’s a good place to feed.
Rotting seaweed may smell bad, but it’s a good place to feed.
Wild opt-art
Chris Packham admires Brownsea's ornithological opt-art created by flocking birds.
Chris Packham admires Brownsea's ornithological opt-art created by flocking birds.
Seabird Serengeti
The most enigmatic of our British birds, seabirds take on the wild magic of the ocean.
The most enigmatic of our British birds, seabirds take on the wild magic of the ocean.
The shading illustrates the diversity of this group - the darker the colour the greater the number of species. Data provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
Auks
Stone curlew (species)
Plovers and lapwings
Oystercatcher (species)
Gulls and kittiwakes
Avocet (species)
Knot (species)
Skuas and jaegers (genus)
Arctic tern (species)Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 350 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most Charadriiformes live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic (sea birds), some occupy deserts and a few are found in thick forest.
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