Redshank (Tringa totanus)
[group] Sandpipers and allies | [order] CHARADRIIFORMES | [family] Scolopacidae | [latin] Tringa totanus | [UK] Redshank | [FR] Chevalier gambette | [DE] Rotschenkel | [ES] Archibebe Comun | [NL] Tureluur
#
Red Leg, Warden of the Marshes
Measurements
spanwidth min.: 45 cm
spanwidth max.: 52 cm
size min.: 27 cm
size max.: 29 cm
Breeding
incubation min.: 22 days
incubation max.: 25 days
fledging min.: 25 days
fledging max.: 25 days
broods 1
eggs min.: 3
eggs max.: 5
Status: Resident, winter visitor from Iceland and passage migrant (birds on passage from Scandinavia/the Baltic breeding areas to west African wintering areas). Highest numbers occur during the early autumn, when there is overlap of the populations.
Conservation Concern: Red-listed in Ireland, due to its small and declining breeding population. The European population has been evaluated as Declining, due to a moderate continuing decline.
Identification: As the name suggests, its most distinctive feature is the leg colour - bright red. A common wader of wetlands throughout the country, though mainly coastal estuaries in winter. A generally mouse brown bird with dark streaking. Bill medium length and straight, reddish at the base. Legs relatively long. Can occur in quite large numbers at the larger estuaries.
Call: An hyterical, piercing "tew…hoo, tew…hoo", always loud - often scaring other birds away. Persisitent "tew.. tew...tew.." at breeding grounds.
Diet: Detect prey visually and feed mostly during the day along the upper shore of estuaries and along muddy river channels. Feed singly or in small groups, and their prey consists mostly of Hydrobia sp., Corophium sp. and nereid worms
Breeding: Nests on the ground in grassy tussock, in wet, marshy areas and occasionally heather. Adults often keep guard standing on fence posts or high rocks. Breeds mainly in midlands (especially Shannon Callows) and northern half of the country, but not commonly anywhere in Ireland.
Wintering: Winters all around the coasts of Ireland, Britain and many European countries. Favours mudflats, large estuaries and inlets. Smaller numbers at inland lakes and large rivers.
Where to see: Strangford Lough in County Down, Shannon & Fergus Estuary in County Clare, Cork Harbour in County Cork, Belfast Lough in County Down, Dundalk Bay in County Louth and Dublin Bay in County Dublin support highest numbers (2,000- 4,000 birds).
Physical characteristics
Ashy brown upperparts, head and breast, streaked and spotted with black and dark brown. White secondaries conspicuous in flight. Differs from non-breeding T. erythropus by shorter, orange-red legs, shorter bill, indistinct supercilium and redder bill. Female often has paler upperparts than male, at least in race totanus. Non-breeding adult has gteyer upperparts, without streaks or spots, but some narrow white fringes, underparts paler, breast finely streaked. Races generally vary only in small details of plumage and size, robusta and ussuriensis more cinnamon.
Habitat
Wide diversity of inland wetlands and coastal, including inland wet grasslands, grassy marshes and swampy heathlandsand coastal salt-marshes. After breeding, chiefly in coastal habitats including rocky, muddy and sandy shorelines, salt-marshes and open mudflats, salt-lakes, freshwater lagoons. Sometimes at inland waters or flooded grasslands.
Other details
Tringa totanus is a widespread breeder across much of Europe, which constitutes >50% of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is large (>280,000 pairs), but underwent a moderate decline between 1970-1990. Although several populations?notably sizeable ones in Russia and Norway?were stable or increased during 1990-2000, the species continued to decline across much of its European range, and underwent a moderate decline (>10%) overall. Consequently, it is evaluated as Declining.
This wader is breeding in temperate, boreal and steppe regions of Eurasia, from the Iberian Peninsula to northern Norway and from the British Isles to China. The birds of southern Europe are largely sedentary. Those of the north are wintering from the North Sea to northern and north-western Africa, and those of Iceland winter mainly in the British Isles. Those of the British Isles are largely sedentary but some individuals disperse between Denmark and Portugal. In Greece birds from Eastern Europe are seen on their migration to north-eastern Africa. The total European population is estimated at 346000 breeding pairs, Russia not included. In most of the south-western part of its range this species seems to be declining, especially the inland popul
Feeding
Insects, spiders and annelids. Non-breeders also consume mollusccs and crustaceans, particularly amphipod, on occasion, feeds on small fish or tadpoles. Like diet, feeding method varies seasonally. Uses typical brisk walk while picking, occasionally probes, jabs or sweeps bill ghrough water. Often wades, and occasionally swims. When feeding on fish, may forage socially in dense flock, often mixed with other tringines. Feeds diurnally and nocturnally. Mostly in small flocks, occasionally many 100s, sometimes singly.
Conservation
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern. [conservation status from birdlife.org]
Breeding
Egg laying from April to June. Monogamous pair bond. Moderate degree of natal pilopatry (consectutive generations breed in the area) in experienced and successful breeders, of site faithfulness and mate fidelity. Breeds solitary or in loose colonies. Nest typically at base of tall clump of grass, with leaves covering overhead. 4 eggs are laid, incubation 24 days, by both sexes. Chick has creamy or greyish buff upperparts with black-brown lines, buff suffused breast and whitish underparts. Both parents initially tend young, but later on often only male. Age of first breeding 1-2 years.
Migration
Mainly migratory, though some resident in maritime countries of western Europe. Though 3 subspecies occur in west Palearctic, broad intergradation zones between them make it impractical to attempt separation of populations on racial basis. In general, smallest birds (from northern Fenno-Scandia) winter furthest south (West Africa), while largest (Icelandic) winter on average furthest north (Iceland to North Sea)- intermediate-sized birds of west-central Europe winter in intermediate latitudes centred on France, Iberia, and western Mediterranean. European migration mainly SW-SSW in autumn (reversed in spring)- important concentrations along coasts, but also many cross overland (overflying large areas), and passage probably broad-front.
Redshank (Tringa totanus)
[group] Sandpipers and allies | [order] CHARADRIIFORMES | [family] Scolopacidae | [latin] Tringa totanus | [UK] Redshank | [FR] Chevalier gambette | [DE] Rotschenkel | [ES] Archibebe Comun | [NL] Tureluur
#
Red Leg, Warden of the Marshes
Measurements
spanwidth min.: 45 cm
spanwidth max.: 52 cm
size min.: 27 cm
size max.: 29 cm
Breeding
incubation min.: 22 days
incubation max.: 25 days
fledging min.: 25 days
fledging max.: 25 days
broods 1
eggs min.: 3
eggs max.: 5
Status: Resident, winter visitor from Iceland and passage migrant (birds on passage from Scandinavia/the Baltic breeding areas to west African wintering areas). Highest numbers occur during the early autumn, when there is overlap of the populations.
Conservation Concern: Red-listed in Ireland, due to its small and declining breeding population. The European population has been evaluated as Declining, due to a moderate continuing decline.
Identification: As the name suggests, its most distinctive feature is the leg colour - bright red. A common wader of wetlands throughout the country, though mainly coastal estuaries in winter. A generally mouse brown bird with dark streaking. Bill medium length and straight, reddish at the base. Legs relatively long. Can occur in quite large numbers at the larger estuaries.
Call: An hyterical, piercing "tew…hoo, tew…hoo", always loud - often scaring other birds away. Persisitent "tew.. tew...tew.." at breeding grounds.
Diet: Detect prey visually and feed mostly during the day along the upper shore of estuaries and along muddy river channels. Feed singly or in small groups, and their prey consists mostly of Hydrobia sp., Corophium sp. and nereid worms
Breeding: Nests on the ground in grassy tussock, in wet, marshy areas and occasionally heather. Adults often keep guard standing on fence posts or high rocks. Breeds mainly in midlands (especially Shannon Callows) and northern half of the country, but not commonly anywhere in Ireland.
Wintering: Winters all around the coasts of Ireland, Britain and many European countries. Favours mudflats, large estuaries and inlets. Smaller numbers at inland lakes and large rivers.
Where to see: Strangford Lough in County Down, Shannon & Fergus Estuary in County Clare, Cork Harbour in County Cork, Belfast Lough in County Down, Dundalk Bay in County Louth and Dublin Bay in County Dublin support highest numbers (2,000- 4,000 birds).
Physical characteristics
Ashy brown upperparts, head and breast, streaked and spotted with black and dark brown. White secondaries conspicuous in flight. Differs from non-breeding T. erythropus by shorter, orange-red legs, shorter bill, indistinct supercilium and redder bill. Female often has paler upperparts than male, at least in race totanus. Non-breeding adult has gteyer upperparts, without streaks or spots, but some narrow white fringes, underparts paler, breast finely streaked. Races generally vary only in small details of plumage and size, robusta and ussuriensis more cinnamon.
Habitat
Wide diversity of inland wetlands and coastal, including inland wet grasslands, grassy marshes and swampy heathlandsand coastal salt-marshes. After breeding, chiefly in coastal habitats including rocky, muddy and sandy shorelines, salt-marshes and open mudflats, salt-lakes, freshwater lagoons. Sometimes at inland waters or flooded grasslands.
Other details
Tringa totanus is a widespread breeder across much of Europe, which constitutes >50% of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is large (>280,000 pairs), but underwent a moderate decline between 1970-1990. Although several populations?notably sizeable ones in Russia and Norway?were stable or increased during 1990-2000, the species continued to decline across much of its European range, and underwent a moderate decline (>10%) overall. Consequently, it is evaluated as Declining.
This wader is breeding in temperate, boreal and steppe regions of Eurasia, from the Iberian Peninsula to northern Norway and from the British Isles to China. The birds of southern Europe are largely sedentary. Those of the north are wintering from the North Sea to northern and north-western Africa, and those of Iceland winter mainly in the British Isles. Those of the British Isles are largely sedentary but some individuals disperse between Denmark and Portugal. In Greece birds from Eastern Europe are seen on their migration to north-eastern Africa. The total European population is estimated at 346000 breeding pairs, Russia not included. In most of the south-western part of its range this species seems to be declining, especially the inland popul
Feeding
Insects, spiders and annelids. Non-breeders also consume mollusccs and crustaceans, particularly amphipod, on occasion, feeds on small fish or tadpoles. Like diet, feeding method varies seasonally. Uses typical brisk walk while picking, occasionally probes, jabs or sweeps bill ghrough water. Often wades, and occasionally swims. When feeding on fish, may forage socially in dense flock, often mixed with other tringines. Feeds diurnally and nocturnally. Mostly in small flocks, occasionally many 100s, sometimes singly.
Conservation
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern. [conservation status from birdlife.org]
Breeding
Egg laying from April to June. Monogamous pair bond. Moderate degree of natal pilopatry (consectutive generations breed in the area) in experienced and successful breeders, of site faithfulness and mate fidelity. Breeds solitary or in loose colonies. Nest typically at base of tall clump of grass, with leaves covering overhead. 4 eggs are laid, incubation 24 days, by both sexes. Chick has creamy or greyish buff upperparts with black-brown lines, buff suffused breast and whitish underparts. Both parents initially tend young, but later on often only male. Age of first breeding 1-2 years.
Migration
Mainly migratory, though some resident in maritime countries of western Europe. Though 3 subspecies occur in west Palearctic, broad intergradation zones between them make it impractical to attempt separation of populations on racial basis. In general, smallest birds (from northern Fenno-Scandia) winter furthest south (West Africa), while largest (Icelandic) winter on average furthest north (Iceland to North Sea)- intermediate-sized birds of west-central Europe winter in intermediate latitudes centred on France, Iberia, and western Mediterranean. European migration mainly SW-SSW in autumn (reversed in spring)- important concentrations along coasts, but also many cross overland (overflying large areas), and passage probably broad-front.