Spotted redshank
Scientific name: Tringa erythropus
- How weight is recorded: Whole weight
Field notes
Appearance
In breeding plumage, males are strikingly dark grey-black with white spotting on the back and flanks; females are duller. Non-breeding birds are pale grey-brown above with white underparts. All birds show bright red legs and a long, slightly upturned red bill with a dark tip.
Size and weight
Adults weigh 120–180 g, with body length 29–39 cm; males average slightly smaller than females.
Habitat
Spotted redshanks breed in open tundra, marshes, and wetlands of the far north, favouring areas with low vegetation and shallow water bodies. They winter in coastal mudflats, estuaries, and inland wetlands across temperate and subtropical regions.
Distribution
Breed across high-latitude Eurasia from Scandinavia to eastern Siberia; winter throughout coastal Europe, Africa, and Asia, with populations ranging from sea level to alpine wetlands up to 1,500 m.
Diet
Spotted redshanks probe and wade in shallow water and mud to feed on small fish, aquatic insects, crustaceans, and occasionally plant material, with diet shifting toward invertebrates during breeding season.
Behaviour
Highly active waders, often feeding in shallow water with a characteristic bobbing gait; they are gregarious outside breeding season, gathering in loose flocks on mudflats and wetlands. Migration is rapid and direct, with birds often flying nocturnally.
Hunting tips
Look for tracks and droppings at the margins of shallow water bodies and mudflats—birds favour areas with exposed mud and sparse emergent vegetation. Approach from downwind across open ground when birds are actively feeding, as their dark plumage and alert nature make them wary. Use natural cover sparingly and move slowly; glass likely feeding areas at dawn and dusk when birds are most active in shallow water.
Whole weight
This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.
Where it is hunted
Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.
Names in other languages
Current language: en
These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.