Page 189 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WADERS
Order Charadriiformes Family Scolopacidae Species Tringa totanus
Redshank plain brown above

broad white band
on upperwings
white
underwings dark brown head
and upperparts no spots
pale eye-ring below
white
rump ADULT
barred tail ADULT (WINTER)
IN FLIGHT lacy buff feather
straight, red- edges
based bill

whitish belly
with black
bright red legs spots yellowish
orange
legs

JUVENILE
ADULT
(SUMMER)
ts noisy behaviour makes the widespread Redshank FLIGHT: fast, direct, gliding to ground; raises wings
Ione of the most obvious shoreline birds. It roosts in as it settles.
tight flocks at high tide, looking noticeably dark
brown compared with paler godwits and Knots. It is
declining fast in areas where farmland is drained or
agriculture intensified, and has also been affected by
the loss of salt-marsh habitats. Nevertheless, it remains
frequent on many coasts.
VOICE Loud, ringing calls,“bouncing” tyew-yu-yu,
teu, teu-hu, sharp annoyed tewk, tewk; song tu-yoo
tu-yoo tu-yoo.
NESTING Simple, sparsely lined hollow on ground,
often with grass intertwined above it, forming canopy;
4 eggs; 1 brood;April–July. DENSE ROOSTS
FEEDING Probes and picks from mud, taking insects, Flocks of Redshanks are pushed tightly together by the rising tide. They
earthworms, marine worms, crustaceans, and molluscs. tend to remain separate from other waders.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Breeds on salt marshes, wet
KNOT winter; larger pastures, near freshwater pools,
see p.176
and on wet upland moors in N and
E Europe. Otherwise, in wet places,
longer
smaller on fresh water and salt coasts;
bill
paler mostly on estuaries but likely in
shorter almost any small creek or marsh.
legs
BAR-TAILED GODWIT winter; Seen in the UK
see p.192 J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 27–29cm (10 1 ⁄2 –11 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 45–52cm (18–20 1 ⁄2in) Weight 85–155g (3–5oz)
Social Winter flocks Lifespan Up to 10 years Status Declining
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