Common Redshank

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Marshes, estuaries.
Diet: Invertebrates.
Best time to spot: Sentinel of the marsh; loud alarm.

When to look

Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Common Redshank sits in our Common tier for the UK: one of the birds you can expect on most days out in the right habitat. It is Amber-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the middle level of concern in the UK.

Where to see it

Reserves where the Common Redshank is on the list:

• RSPB Leighton Moss
• RSPB Minsmere
• RSPB Titchwell Marsh

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Common GreenshankUncommon · Bogs (summer); estuaries (passage)
• Lesser YellowlegsRare · Pools
• Marsh SandpiperEpic · Pools
• Spotted RedshankRare · Estuaries
• Green SandpiperUncommon · Drains
• Grey-tailed TattlerLegendary · Rocky shore (extreme vagrant)

Kit that helps

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