Latin name

Tringa totanus

The redshank is a medium-sized wading bird. It has longish red legs and a long, straight bill. It is grey-brown above and whitish below. In flight, it shows very obvious white rear edges to the wings and a white 'V-shape' up its back. The greatest concentrations of breeding birds are in parts of Scotland and north-west England. In winter, as many as half of the birds in Britain may be from Iceland. The numbers breeding on farmland are declining, due to drainage of farmland. Overgrazing of coastal marshes is also removing breeding habitat and breeding birds are increasingly dependent on nature reserves.

Where to see them

The redshank is an abundant and widespread wading bird on coasts - look for it at RSPB coastal reserves. Inland, you can look for it at reserves where there is wet grassland for it breed and feed on, especially in the northern half of the UK.

© 2007 The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Charity registered in England and Wales no 207076, in Scotland no SCO 37654