Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus (Pallas, 1764)

29–31 cmLength64 cmWingspan158 gWeight

This large sandpiper is black in breeding plumage and very pale in winter plumage, with red legs and feet that turn dark gray in the breeding season.

Busiest months: April and August–September · Most records: United Kingdom, China, Spain

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Breeding plumage black with white spots; winter plumage very pale
Legs and feet red, turning dark gray in the breeding season
White oval on the back in flight

Male, female and young

Juvenile is gray-brown, with small white spots on the upperparts and fine barring on the pale underparts.

Voice

A squeaky whistle, “teu-it”; the warning call is “kyip-kyip-kyip”.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: April and August–September · Most records: United Kingdom, China, Spain

Spotted Redshank has been recorded at 1,720 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 109 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom2,726 records
Minsmere RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom2,306 records
Mai Po Nature ReserveHong Kong (China)1,790 records

More places

Frampton Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom1,601 records
Pak Thale Nature ReserveThailand1,556 records
Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT NR – Cley Marshes including Hides and Visitor CentreUnited Kingdom1,450 records
L'Albufera PNat – El Raco de l'OllaSpain1,169 records
Eilat – KM20 Flamingo Pools 20Israel1,139 records
Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira – área geralPortugal889 records
WWT Slimbridge Wetland CentreUnited Kingdom851 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom China Spain India Israel Thailand Portugal Sweden

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

About

The spotted redshank (Tringa erythropus) is a wader (shorebird) in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It breeds across northern Scandinavia and the northern Palearctic and migrates south to the Mediterranean, the southern British Isles, France, tropical Africa, and tropical Asia for the winter. It is an occasional vagrant to Australia and North America.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Spotted Redshank?

The Spotted Redshank is about 29–31 cm long, with a wingspan of 64 cm and weighs around 158 g.

Where does the Spotted Redshank live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: low Arctic to subarctic wooded tundra of northern Palearctic: northern, central Scandinavia east through inland Russia to central Chukotskiy Peninsula (northeastern Siberia). It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, China and Spain.

When is the best time to see the Spotted Redshank?

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

Is the Spotted Redshank endangered?

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

What does the Spotted Redshank eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Spotted Redshank in?

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

At a glance

Length: 29–31 cm
Wingspan: 64 cm
Weight: 158 g
Habitat: Grassland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 163 mm
Tail: 63 mm
Bill: 63 mm
Tarsus: 57 mm

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

Range

Palearctic: low Arctic to subarctic wooded tundra of northern Palearctic: northern, central Scandinavia east through inland Russia to central Chukotskiy Peninsula (northeastern Siberia)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2