Photo: Zeynel Cebeci / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Shorebirds

Common Redshank

Tringa totanus

Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of South Australia Birds of Victoria Birds of Western Australia Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of England Birds of Bedfordshire Birds of Buckinghamshire

By family

Sandpipers & Allies of New South Wales Sandpipers & Allies of Northern Territory Sandpipers & Allies of Queensland Sandpipers & Allies of South Australia Sandpipers & Allies of Victoria Sandpipers & Allies of Western Australia Sandpipers & Allies of Newfoundland and Labrador Sandpipers & Allies of England

See what's near you right now

The Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 129 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
Genus Tringa
Species totanus

Where it lives

Subarctic to temperate coastal and inland marshes, meadows of Palearctic: Iceland to northern Scandinavia and south to southern Iberian Pen. 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

Europe & Northern Asia

Quick facts

Weight: 129 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Scolopacidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Vulnerable

Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

Least Concern

Little Curlew

Numenius minutus

Least Concern

Ruff

Calidris pugnax

Least Concern

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Common Redshank hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Common Redshank is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) is a species of sandpipers, snipes in the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in Europe & Northern Asia — subarctic to temperate coastal and inland marshes, meadows of Palearctic: Iceland to n Scandinavia and s to s Iberian Pen. and coastal Tunisia, in n from Baltics, sw Russia, Kazakhstan, n Mongolia e to Amurland (se Russia), s through n Middle East, most of c Asia, Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, e to ne China.

Songs & calls

Common Redshank — Call, flight call, nocturnal flight call

Recorded by Anthony ROUX Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Common Redshank?

The Common Redshank is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 129 g.

Where does the Common Redshank live?

The Common Redshank is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL subarctic to temperate coastal and inland marshes, meadows of Palearctic: Iceland to n Scandinavia and s to s Iberian Pen. and coastal Tunisia, in n from Baltics, sw Russia, Kazakhstan, n Mongolia e to Amurland (se Russia), s through n Middle East, most of c Asia, Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, e to ne China, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Common Redshank belong to?

The Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Common Redshank eat?

The Common Redshank hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Common Redshank migrate?

The Common Redshank is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Common Redshank endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Common Redshank make?

1 real field recording of the Common Redshank — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Common Redshank's range?

The Common Redshank has a mapped global range of about 19.7 million km².