Common Redshank

Tringa totanus (Linnaeus, 1758)

≈29 cmLength62 cmWingspan129 gWeight

This bird has red legs and feet and a red bill with a black tip, showing white on the back and wings in flight.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal

Looks like Spotted Redshank

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Legs and feet red
Bill red with a black tip
White on the back and wings in flight
Breeding plumage marbled rufous; winter plumage gray-brown with a white belly

Voice

A loud, sharp whistle.

Similar species

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank has a longer bill and longer legs and feet, almost entirely black breeding plumage and very pale winter plumage.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal

Common Redshank has been recorded at 2,206 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 131 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom8,103 records
Txingudi – PlaiaundiSpain5,863 records
International Birding and Research Center Eilat (IBRCE)Israel4,851 records

More places

Desembocadura del Guadalhorce – ÁreaSpain4,470 records
Minsmere RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom4,148 records
Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT NR – Cley Marshes including Hides and Visitor CentreUnited Kingdom4,043 records
Spurn Bird Observatory Recording AreaUnited Kingdom3,565 records
Sungei Buloh Wetland ReserveSingapore3,479 records
Frampton Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom3,450 records
Eilat – KM20 Flamingo Pools 20Israel3,246 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom Spain Portugal China Israel India Iceland Ireland

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Common Redshank?

The Common Redshank is about ≈29 cm long, with a wingspan of 62 cm and weighs around 129 g.

Where does the Common Redshank live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: subarctic to temperate coastal and inland marshes, meadows of Palearctic: Iceland to northern Scandinavia and south to southern Iberian Peninsula and coastal Tunisia, in north from Baltics, southwestern Russia, Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia east to Amurland (southeastern Russia), south through northern Middle East, most of Central Asia, Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, east to northeastern China. It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal.

When is the best time to see the Common Redshank?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Common Redshank endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Common Redshank as Least Concern.

What does the Common Redshank eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Common Redshank in?

It belongs to the family Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: ≈29 cm
Wingspan: 62 cm
Weight: 129 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 157 mm
Tail: 64 mm
Bill: 45 mm
Tarsus: 47 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: subarctic to temperate coastal and inland marshes, meadows of Palearctic: Iceland to northern Scandinavia and south to southern Iberian Peninsula and coastal Tunisia, in north from Baltics, southwestern Russia, Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia east to Amurland (southeastern Russia), south through northern Middle East, most of Central Asia, Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, east to northeastern China

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 3

Tringa totanus terrignotae s Manchuria and e China | non-breeding: e, se Asia
Tringa totanus craggi nw China | non-breeding: s, se Asia
Tringa totanus eurhina Tajikistan to n India and Tibet | non-breeding: India to Malay Pen.