Common Redshank - BirdForum Opus

Photo © by A. Meir
Eilat, Israel, December 2005

Tringa totanus

Identification

27cm

• Brownish upperparts
• Pale underparts
• Streaked flanks & breast
• Whitish eye-ring
• Short supercilium
• Long black-tipped red bill, except in Juvenile
• Red legs

Flight

• White rump extending up the back, finishing in a 'v' shape
• White trailing edges to wings

Similar Species

Ruff

Distribution

Widespread throughout Europe, Asia and Africa

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Juvenile (note lack of red on bill base)
Photo © by BrianWH
Carsington Water, Derbyshire, England, July 2015

There are 6 subspecies^[1]:

• T. t. robusta:

• Iceland, Faeroes and Scotland; winters British Isles and western Europe

• T. t. totanus:

• Scandinavia to Iberia; winters to Africa, India and Indonesia

• T. t. ussuriensis:

• Siberia and Mongolia to eastern Russia; winters to Africa and India

• T. t. terrignotae:

• Southern Manchuria; winters in south-eastern Asia

• T. t. craggi:

• North-western China (north-western Xinjiang); winter grounds unknown

• T. t. eurhina:

• Pamir Mountains to northern India and Tibet; winters in India

Two additional subspecies, britannica and meinertzhageni are generally considered invalid^[2].

Habitat

Photo © by Reels
November 2010

A variety of wetlands.

Behaviour

Diet

The diet includes invertebrates.

Breeding

The nest is a shallow depression on the ground, concealed near or under vegetation; the male builds the base and the female lines it with twigs and leaves. 3-5 eggs are laid and incubated by both parents for 22-25 days.

Vocalisation

Winter plumage : seen here with similar looking Spotted Redshank (left)
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Gurgaon Rural, Haryana, India, February-2014

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition ISBN 0 00 219900 9
4. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728
5. Whatbird

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Common Redshank. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Common_Redshank

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