During the non-breeding season, this species is found along the coast, especially in mudflats, tidal pools and creek edges, mangroves and salt marshes (Richardson 1990, Aspinall and Porter 2011). During migration, the species may stop-over at inland freshwater wetlands, such as muddy lakes or river edges (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996).There is no information available about its diet in the UAE; elsewhere in the non-breeding season and on migration, the diet is varied and consists of insects, small molluscs, crustaceans (including crabs), spiders and annelid worms (del Hoyo et al. 1996). It forages both diurnally and nocturnally, but its nocturnal activities may be restricted to moonlit nights (Rohweder and Baverstock 1996). The species is migratory (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Individuals occurring in the UAE breed between May and June in boreal forest and tundra of north-western Asia; they migrate south overland through the Caspian region and the Middle East (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Many one-year-old and other non-breeding birds remain in the wintering grounds throughout the northern summer (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996, Pedersen et al. 2017).