# Common Redshank (*Tringa totanus*) The Common Redshank is a wading bird with long legs and a long beak. It has beautiful reddish-brown feathers and loves to be near water, where it finds tasty insects and small fish. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Common Redshank](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Common_Redshank_Tringa_totanus.jpg&width=800) Photo: Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Redshank_Tringa_totanus.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Redshank is a medium-sized, elegant wader with bright orange-red legs and a straight bill that is red at the base and dark at the tip. Its plumage is mottled brown and white, with a striking white wedge on its back visible during flight. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Scolopacidae - **Genus:** Tringa ## Interesting facts - Newly hatched Redshank chicks can leave the nest and find food almost instantly! - Redshanks can detect prey under mud without seeing it, using special bill sensors! - Their scientific name, \*totanus\*, comes from a Latin name for this whistling bird. - When alarmed, they often perform a unique 'head-bobbing' display. ## Special abilities - **Vigilant Watcher:** Common Redshank has a loud, distinctive alarm call that helps them warn other birds of approaching dangers. - **Mud Prober:** Common Redshank can detect hidden prey by probing sensitive bill tips into mud and shallow water. - **Camouflage Cloak:** Common Redshank has mottled brown feathers that help them blend perfectly into their wetland surroundings. - **Flight Navigator:** Common Redshank can undertake long-distance migrations, using strong wings to travel across continents. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 27-31 cm - **Wingspan:** 59-66 cm - **Weight:** 0.085-0.15 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-5 - **Incubation:** 22-29 days - **Migration Distance:** 3500 km ## Diet & Feeding They mostly eat small invertebrates like worms and crustaceans found in mud and shallow water. - **Primary Foods:** marine worms, small crustaceans, insect larvae, molluscs, small fish - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [Peregrine Falcon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — These fast falcons actively hunt adult Redshanks in open areas. - **Hunts:** [Herring Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/herring-gull) (*Larus argentatus*) — Herring Gulls are known to prey on Redshank eggs and young chicks. - **Eats:** Ragworm (*Hediste diversicolor*) — This marine ragworm is a crucial part of the Redshank's wetland diet. - **Eats:** Green Shore Crab (*Carcinus maenas*) — Redshanks forage for small, juvenile green shore crabs. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and be quiet so you don't scare them away. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Redshank? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Redshank? 27-31 cm ### What is Common Redshank's wingspan? 59-66 cm ### How much does Common Redshank weigh? 0.085-0.15 kg ### How long does Common Redshank live? 5-10 years ### How fast can Common Redshank move? 60 km/h ### What does Common Redshank eat? They mostly eat small invertebrates like worms and crustaceans found in mud and shallow water. ### Where is Common Redshank usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-saxony-wadden-sea-national-park) — Niedersachsen, DE · Park - [Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hamburg-wadden-sea-national-park) — Hamburg, DE · Park - [Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/schleswig-holstein-wadden-sea-national-park) — Schleswig-Holstein, DE · Park [View all places to see Common Redshank](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-redshank) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Common Redshank: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-redshank)