Sound clips and movies require Adobe Flash player. Latin nameTringa totanus FamilySandpipers and allies (Scolopacidae) OverviewThe redshank is a medium-sized wading bird. It has longish red legs and a long, straight bill. It is grey-brown above and whitish below. In flight, it shows very obvious white rear edges to the wings and a white 'V-shape' up its back. The greatest concentrations of breeding birds are in parts of Scotland and north-west England. In winter, as many as half of the birds in Britain may be from Iceland. The numbers breeding on farmland are declining, due to drainage of farmland. Overgrazing of coastal marshes is also removing breeding habitat and breeding birds are increasingly dependent on nature reserves. Where to see themThe redshank is an abundant and widespread wading bird on coasts - look for it at RSPB coastal reserves. Inland, you can look for it at reserves where there is wet grassland for it breed and feed on, especially in the northern half of the UK. When to see themAll year round What they eatInsects, earthworms, molluscs, crustaceans Estimated numbers| Europe | UK breeding* | UK wintering* | UK passage* |
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| - | 38,300 pairs | 125,800 individuals. | - |
* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn. Distribution
Please note that the map is only intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations. Find out more
Audio is from commercial recordings Bird Songs and Calls of Britain and Europe on 4 CDs or Bird Sounds of Europe & North-west Africa, copyright WildSounds & CEBA (www.wildsounds.com, (UK) +44 (0) 1263 741100) |