Populations in Britain and round the Mediterranean tend to be sedentary but elsewhere breeding takes place from Central and northern Europe across southern Siberia and up to the Pacific. These birds winter further south in Africa and Asia. There is also a resident population in South Africa.

It flies rather infrequently and usually at dawn or dusk. In flight it has broad wings, a heavy looking front end and trailing feet though, head on, as in these photos, these features are difficult to detect.