Polysticta stelleri
Diagnostic, squarish head profile with flat crown, high bill base, steep forehead in all plumages. Male unmistakable with white and orange-buff underparts, white head with dark eye-patch, black collar and black back. Female mottled brown, but distinguished by head profile and blue wingbar with white edges. Identifiable at a distance by its habit of holding the tail raised clear of the water like a dabbling duck.
Male seldom heard. Display sound probably a clear whistle rising slightly and then falling in pitch, a bit like Golden Plover. Female more noisy with indistinct guttural sounds.
Xeno-canto: map
Birdlife ecology
Sounds:Recorded by Andrew Spencer,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license
