Redshank

The redshank (Tringa totanus) is a medium-sized wader that is resident around the coast of Great Britain and is also seen as a summer visitor on inland waters, especially in Scotland and northern England. The birds seen in winter in south-west England are mainly visitors from Iceland.

  

Appearance

Redshanks are up to 28 centimetres (11 inches in length) with long red legs and feet and longish bills that are redder towards the base. The plumage, which is similar in males and females, is brown, being darker above than below. In winter the brown fades to grey. Towards the rear, there are areas of white, including the hind parts of the wings and a V-shape on the rump that is visible when the bird is in flight.

Behaviour

  

The redshank is a noisy bird, with a strong alarm call and high-pitched whistle, often heard as the bird takes to the air. The flight is fast and jerky, with shallow wing-beats. On the ground the redshank is nervous and wary, bobbing its head and stretching its neck to spot any danger.

Their food consists mainly of the worms, larvae, molluscs and crustaceans that they find in the mud, plus insects and spiders from the shore.

  

Breeding

Redshanks reach their breeding grounds, which are usually wet meadows, swamps or marshes, in March-April. They are gregarious birds, so many pairs may be found in close proximity. The nest is concealed in tussocky grass, being a shallow depression with a lining of dry vegetation. Both partners build the nest, the male constructing the base and the female contributing the lining. This is not the only species in which the man does the donkey work and the woman looks after the decoration!

The clutch is usually four eggs, laid at any time from April to June. Incubation takes up to 25 days and is done by both partners. When they hatch, the chicks leave the nest almost at once and find their own food, guarded by their parents who may perch on posts and low trees to do so. They fledge at 25 days and are fully grown at 40 days, when they form groups with other redshanks.

Conservation

The redshank is on the amber list of threatened species, due to the loss of inland habitat in recent years, as well as over-grazing of coastal grasslands. However, it is doing very well in nature reserves.

©  John Welford