Male and females look the same, but females are larger. The short-yellow legs and long upturned bill are key diagnostic features of this species. The lower third of the bill is dull orange and the rest black. This species can’t be confused with any others.

This species breeds in lowland valleys of Finland. The non-breeding grounds are mainly subtropical and tropical coastal from western and southern Africa, east to Australia and New Zealand.

These non-breeding Palearctic migrants arrive between September and November and start departing in March. Some birds overwinter. The population in Namibia and South Africa is believed to be around 1 000 birds. The main concentration of this species in southern Africa are northern KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique. An uncommon bird in the Western Cape.

Terek sandpipers are found on mud and sandflats of estuaries and sheltered bays. The distribution of Terek Sandpipers was closely linked to patches of Cape eelgrass (Zostera capensis). These sandpipers can be seen on the exposed mudflats at low tide along the Breede River Estuary.

These active waders are known for their abrupt changes in direction when feeding on crans, shrimps and insects. They are usually seen singly along the Breede. They use a range of feeding techniques from surface pecking to deep probing on substrates.

The oldest known bird approximately 16 years old.