Behaviour This species is fully migratory but may only move short distances in some regions¹. It breeds from May to August² in solitary pairs^{1, 2}, adults leaving the breeding grounds before the juveniles between July and August². The return migration in the spring peaks between April and early-May². The species feeds in small flocks during the breeding season, but on passage and in winter feeding flocks of tens to thousands of individuals may occur^{1, 2, 4}. Habitat Breeding The species breeds on humid moss, lichen and hummock tundra¹, low-lying marshes in moss tundra³, shrub tundra, open bogs in forest, peatlands, alpine tundra¹, highland bogs , moors³, and swampy highland heaths with high abundances of sphagnum moss and heather^{1, 3}. It shows a preference for nesting on short vegetation less than 15 cm tall⁵. Non-breeding When on passage and in its winter quarters¹ the species frequents freshwater wetlands⁴, moist grasslands⁴, pastures¹, agricultural land (e.g. stubble, ploughed or fallow fields)^{1, 4} and highland steppe⁴, also foraging on tidal shores, coastal rocky outcrops³, intertidal flats¹ and saltmarshes^{1, 4} in shallow bays and estuaries¹. Diet Its diet consists predominantly of insects (especially the adults, pupae and larvae of beetles¹, larval Lepidoptera, locusts and grasshoppers⁴), as well as earthworms, spiders, millipedes, snails, polycheate worms¹, crustaceans³ and some plant material (e.g. berries, seeds and grass)¹. Breeding site The nest is a shallow scrape on bare ground in flat, sparse areas with short vegetation (less than 15 cm)¹. The species is a solitary nester, although in optimal habitats neighbouring pairs may nest only a few hundred metres apart¹. Management information "Extensive" grazing of wetland grasslands (e.g. c.0.5 cows per hectare) was found to attract a higher abundance of the species in Hungary⁶, and in the UK the species shows a preference for nesting on heathlands and moors managed by rotational burning (a management strategy used to encourage grouse) as this keeps the vegetation short and prevents grasses from being displaced by heathers^{3, 5}.

BON214-07|NHMO-BC214|Pluvialis apricaria| ------------------TCCAACCACAAAGACATTGGCACCCTATACCTAATCTTCGGCGCATGAGCCGGTATAGTCGGCACCGCCCTT---AGCTTACTCATCCGTGCAGAACTTGGCCAACCAGGTACCCTACTAGGAGAC---GACCAAATCTACAATGTAATTGTTACTGCCCATGCTTTCGTAATAATCTTCTTCATAGTTATACCAATCATGATTGGAGGCTTCGGAAACTGACTAGTACCACTCATA---ATTGGTGCCCCCGACATAGCATTTCCCCGCATAAACAACATGAGCTTCTGACTACTCCCCCCATCATTCCTACTTCTCCTTGCCTCCTCCACAGTAGAAGCCGGAGCAGGCACAGGATGAACCGTATACCCCCCTCTAGCTGGCAACCTAGCTCACGCCGGAGCCTCAGTAGACCTG---GCCATTTTTTCCCTCCATCTAGCAGGTGTATCCTCAATCCTAGGTGCAATCAACTTCATTACAACCGCCATCAACATAAAACCCCCTGCCCTATCACAATACCAAACTCCCCTATTTGTATGGTCCGTCCTCATCACTGCCGTCCTACTGCTCCTTTCACTCCCAGTTCTTGCCGCT---GGCATCACCATGCTACTAACAGACCGAAACCTAAACACTACATTCTTCGACCCTGCCGGAGGCGGAGACCCAGTCCTATATCAACACCTCTTCTGATTCTTCGGCCACCCAGAAGTCTACATTCTAATCCTCCCAGGATTTGGAATTATCTCCCAC------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
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The species has suffered minor range contractions due to the cultivation and afforestation of heathlands^{1, 5}, and is susceptible to very cold winter temperatures and severe weather conditions⁵. Utilisation The species is frequently taken by hunters on its wintering grounds (e.g. France)¹.