Common greenshank
Scientific name: Tringa nebularia
- How weight is recorded: Whole weight
Field notes
Appearance
Slender grey-brown wader with distinctive long, slightly upturned greenish legs and a pale base to the lower mandible. In breeding plumage, the head and breast show heavy dark streaking; non-breeding birds appear paler and more uniform above.
Size and weight
Adults typically weigh 120–190 g; body length 30–35 cm. Males average slightly smaller than females.
Habitat
Common greenshanks inhabit open wetlands, marshes, shallow lakes, and coastal mudflats with sparse vegetation. They favour areas with clear sightlines and are found from lowland estuaries to upland moorland and tundra breeding grounds.
Distribution
Breeds across northern Eurasia from Scandinavia to eastern Siberia; winters in Africa, southern Asia, and Australasia. Passage birds and winterers occur on coasts and inland wetlands throughout temperate and tropical zones.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small fish, aquatic invertebrates (insects, crustaceans, molluscs), and tadpoles gleaned from shallow water or mud; prey composition shifts seasonally with water availability.
Behaviour
Diurnal and crepuscular feeder, often solitary or in small groups; highly alert with a distinctive loud alarm call. Ranges actively across mudflats and shallows, moving steadily while picking or probing; quick to flush when disturbed.
Hunting tips
Look for characteristic three-toed tracks at water margins and mud; birds leave feeding traces as small probe marks in soft substrate. Approach from behind cover along the water's edge at dawn or dusk when birds feed in shallows; use terrain folds and reed beds to stalk within range. Expect explosive flush with loud alarm calls; position yourself to intercept flight paths across open water or between feeding areas.
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.