Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia
The Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) is a common sandpiper found in 166 countries, weighing about 187 g. The common greenshank is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders.
About the Common Greenshank
The common greenshank is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. The genus name Tringa is the Neo-Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific nebularia is from Latin nebula "mist". Like the Norwegian Skoddefoll, this refers to the greenshank's damp marshy habitat.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Common greenshanks are brown in breeding plumage, and grey-brown in winter. When in water, they can appear very similar to marsh sandpipers but are distinguished by the shape of the lower bill which gives it an upturned appearance to the bill. They have long greenish legs and a long bill with a grey base. They show a white wedge on the back in flight. They are somewhat larger than the related common redshank. The usual call is a rapid series of three short fluty notes syllabilized as teu-teu-teu. Like most waders, they feed on small invertebrates, but will also take small fish and amphibians.
What the Common Greenshank sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Canada, French Guiana, St. Pierre & Miquelon, Micronesia.
When to see it
The Common Greenshank can be seen all year round, with peak activity in August. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Common Greenshank?
- Common greenshanks are brown in breeding plumage, and grey-brown in winter. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Common Greenshank?
- The Common Greenshank is a medium sized bird weighing about 187 g.
- Where can you see a Common Greenshank?
- The Common Greenshank occurs in 166 countries, including Sweden, Taiwan, Norway, Spain and India.
- What does a Common Greenshank sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Common Greenshank on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Common Greenshank?
- The Common Greenshank is most easily confused with the Common Redshank, the Willet and the Wood Sandpiper.
- Is the Common Greenshank endangered?
- The Common Greenshank is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Common Greenshank for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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