A long-necked and long-billed wader with a slim white back stripe and no wing bars and long red legs. Nonbreeding plumage is lighter grey above with fine black speckles. Head and neck paler with clear but short white supercilia. Underparts white. Long bill dark with red lower mandible and slight downcurve at tip. In breeding plumage, strikingly black on head, neck and underparts and white-spotted dark grey upperparts. Sexes alike.