Common Redshank

Overview

Common Redshank: Large sandpiper, scaled black and brown upperparts, dark-streaked neck and breast, white eye-ring broken in front, pale belly and sides with dark chevrons. Dark wings with white trailing edges visible in flight. Legs are orange-red. Short bill is red with black tip.

Range and Habitat

Common Redshank: Widespread across Eurasia; accidental in Newfoundland. Preferred habitats include mudflats, marshes, and grassy fields.

INTERESTING FACTS

They are quickly identified by their red legs, but confusion can occur if their legs are mud-covered. Juveniles may have greenish-yellow legs.
They find their food by sight and only rarely probe into the mud or sand.
Wary and nervous birds, Common Redshanks are often the first to panic and give noisy alarm calls to other nearby waders.
A group of sandpipers has many collective nouns, including a "bind", "contradiction", "fling", "hill", and "time-step" of sandpipers.

The Common Redshank is a wader which breeds throughout Europe and northern Asia. During winter months, these birds migrate to the Mediterranean coastline, southern Asia, and the Atlantic coast of Europe south of Great Britain. This species prefers to nest in wetlands, such as damp meadows and salt marshes. They nest in highly dense colonies throughout European and Asian territories. The preferred diet of the Common Redshank is small invertebrates. This species is replaced by the Spotted Redshank in Arctic regions. Due to maintained and rising population levels, the Common Redshank’s current conservation rating is Least Concern.