Adults have long blue-grey hairy legs and a very long pink bill with a slight upward curve and dark at the tip. The long neck, breast and belly are pale brown with dark bars on the breast and flanks. The back is mottled and dark. They show cinnamon wing linings in flight. These birds forage by probing on mudflats, in marshes, or at the beach. They mainly eat insects and crustaceans, but also eat parts of aquatic plants.