fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". Sandhill crane, Antigone canadensis (A) Common crane, Grus grus (A) Thick-knees Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae The thick-knees are a group of waders found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia. They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow-black bills, large yellow eyes, and cryptic plumage. Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats. Eurasian thick-knee (), Burhinus oedicnemus (A) Stilts and avocets Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. The avocets have long legs and long up-curved bills. The stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. Pied avocet, Recurvirostra avosetta (A) Oystercatchers Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae The oystercatchers are large and noisy plover-like birds, with strong bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs. Eurasian oystercatcher (tjaldur), Haematopus ostralegus Plovers and lapwings Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae The family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water. Black-bellied plover, Pluvialis squatarola (A) European golden-plover (lógv), Pluvialis apricaria Northern lapwing (vípa), Vanellus vanellus Common ringed plover (svarthálsa), Charadrius hiaticula Semipalmated plover, Charadrius semipalmatus (A) Little ringed plover, Charadrius dubius (A) Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus (A) Eurasian dotterel, Charadrius morinellus (A) Sandpipers and allies Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae Scolopacidae is a large diverse family of small to medium-sized shorebirds including the sandpipers, curlews, godwits, shanks, tattlers, woodcocks, snipes, dowitchers, and phalaropes. The majority of these species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Variation in length of legs and bills enables multiple species to feed in the same habitat, particularly on the coast, without direct competition for food. Whimbrel (spógvi), Numenius phaeopus Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata Bar-tailed godwit, Limosa lapponica Black-tailed godwit (reyðspógvi), Limosa limosa Ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres Red knot, Calidris canutus Ruff, Calidris pugnax Broad-billed sandpiper, Calidris falcinellus (A) Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea (A) Temminck's stint, Calidris temminckii (A) Sanderling, Calidris alba Dunlin (fjallmurra), Calidris alpina Purple sandpiper (sjógrælingur), Calidris maritima Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii (A) Little stint, Calidris minuta (A) White-rumped sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis (A) Buff-breasted sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis (A) Pectoral sandpiper, Calidris melanotos (A) Semipalmated sandpiper,