Common Redshank
Tringa totanus
The Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) is a common sandpiper found in 138 countries, weighing about 129 g. The common redshank or simply redshank is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.
About the Common Redshank
The common redshank or simply redshank is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Common redshanks in breeding plumage are a marbled brown color, slightly lighter below. In winter plumage they become somewhat lighter-toned and less patterned, being rather plain greyish-brown above and whitish below. They have red legs and a black-tipped red bill, and show white up the back and on the wings in flight. The spotted redshank (T. erythropus), which breeds in the Arctic, has a longer bill and legs; it is almost entirely black in breeding plumage and very pale in winter.
What the Common Redshank sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Canada, Chad, Benin, Congo - Kinshasa, South Sudan.
When to see it
The Common Redshank can be seen all year round, with peak activity in May. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Common Redshank?
- Common redshanks in breeding plumage are a marbled brown color, slightly lighter below. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Common Redshank?
- The Common Redshank is a medium sized bird weighing about 129 g.
- Where can you see a Common Redshank?
- The Common Redshank occurs in 138 countries, including Sweden, the United Kingdom, Norway, Spain and France.
- What does a Common Redshank sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Common Redshank on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Common Redshank?
- The Common Redshank is most easily confused with the Willet, the Common Greenshank and the Lesser Yellowlegs.
- Is the Common Redshank endangered?
- The Common Redshank is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Common Redshank 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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