This species is mostly migratory, wintering in Europe and Africa. Some populations are sedentary or partially migratory, e.g. British Isles. The birds move quickly from breeding grounds to moulting areas, and after a few weeks quickly migrate to the wintering grounds. The species shows a high degree of site fidelity at staging sites. Birds wintering in the Afrotropics thought to be from Russia, crossing the Sahara on a broad front. European and Atlantic birds move to southern and western Europe. The species seems to have shifted its main moulting grounds from continental (particularly Netherlands) to Britain since late 1950s. Autumn passage is from late July to November, with arrival in Northern Africa mainly late September to early October. Most birds leave Africa for spring migration in March; crossing Europe from March to early May. The males typically arrive on the breeding grounds 10–14 days before the females. The species breeds in open fresh or brackish marshland with rich or tussocky vegetation, grassy or marshy edges of lakes and rivers, wet hay fields, swampy meadows and marshy tundra, in forest tundra and extreme northern taiga zones. The species breeds in general in areas providing combination of grassy cover and moist soils, rich in organic matter. Outside breeding season, generally occupies similar habitats, with more use of man-made habitats, e.g. sewage farms and rice fields, upper reaches of estuaries and coastal meadows. Its diet includes larval insects (10–80%), adult insects, earthworms, small crustaceans, small gastropods and spiders. Plant fibres and seeds are consumed in smaller quantities. It feeds by vertical and rhythmic probing in substrate, often without removing the bill from the soil. It typically forages in small groups. Laying April-June. Monogamous, but both sexes show high degree of promiscuity. Territorial; densities up to 10–38 (even 110) pairs/km². Nest usually on dry spot, covered by grasses, rushes, sedges or sphagnum. High proportion of the nests may be predated or trampled by cattle (Van Gils et al. 2015).

Conservation Actions Underway
EU Birds Directive Annex IIA and IIIB. CMS Appendix II. AEWA Annex II. Nominally protected in 1,194 Natura 2000 sites across 21 EU Member States (EEA 2023). Also occurs in numerous protected areas outside the EU, particularly on passage and in winter. The species is included in the 2018-2028 International Multispecies Action Plan for the Conservation of Breeding Waders in Wet Grassland Habitats in Europe (Leyrer et al. 2018).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Implement the necessary measures identified in the species action plan (Leyrer et al. 2018). Drainage of freshwater wetland habitats needs to be stopped and reversed. Marginal grasslands need to be restored. Careful manipulation of water levels may allow improvement of breeding success.