Terek Sandpiper

The Terek Sandpiper is a long-distance migrant, breeding in northern Europe and Asia and flying south to winter in Southeast Asia and Australia.

It is a small wader with a distinctive upturned bill and bright orange-red legs. In flight, it has a prominent white trailing edge to the wing.
Primarily found in coastal mudflats and sandflats throughout west coast of West Malaysia, in is very common but in sparse numbers of small flocks of tens, however it will forage on its own. Occasionally they can be encountered in bigger flocks of up to hundreds, especially duiring spring tide where almost all waders have to congregate at a suitable high tide roost along the shore or coastal mudflats.

Terek Sandpipers primarily eat small crustaceans (especially crabs), insects, molluscs, and polychaete worms, often caught on mudflats by rapidly running, pecking, and probing with their distinctive upturned bill, sometimes washing prey in water before eating.

It is found in all the coastal and mudflat areas of Seberang Perai, with estimated population of not more than one thousand for the whole three districts, with a higher concentration at the Teluk Air Tawar – Kuala Muda IBA

https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/terek-sandpiper-xenus-cinereus

At Teluk Air Tawar – Kuala Muda: a migrant. About 101 were counted on 30 December 2024. Look for it from August to April, in the largest numbers from October to February. See When to see shorebirds at Teluk Air Tawar – Kuala Muda.