Bird Guide

Common Greenshank vs Solitary Sandpiper

Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Medium187 gWetland

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.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Common Greenshank
Recorded by Sonothèque ADVL · Call, flight call, song · Cabane Vauban (near Carolles), Manche, Normandie, France · CC0
Photo: blondinrikard · CC BY 2.0
Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)

Solitary Sandpiper

Tringa solitaria

Small48 gWetland

This species measures 18–23 cm (7.1–9.1 in) long, with a wingspan up to 50 cm (20 in) and a body mass of 31–65 g (1.1–2.3 oz). It is a dumpy wader with a dark green back, greyish head and breast and otherwise white underparts. It is obvious in flight, with wings dark above and below, and a dark rump and tail centre. The latter feature distinguishes it from the slightly larger and broader-winged, but otherwise very similar, green sandpiper (T. ochropus) of Europe and Asia, to which it is closely related. The latter species has a brilliant white rump.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Solitary Sandpiper
Recorded by Doug Hynes · Call · Little Mecatina River ("Bear Cache Island"), Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Janne Teivonen · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Common Greenshank and Solitary Sandpiper.