Tringa nebularia (Gunnerus, 1767)

Breeding and non-breeding plumage

Common greenshanks (Tringa nebularia) have brown plumage during the breeding season, and grey-brown plumage in winter.

Similar species differentiation

When in water, they can look very similar to marsh sandpipers, but can be distinguished by the shape of their lower bill, which gives the entire bill an upturned appearance.

Limb and bill morphology

They have long greenish legs and a long bill with a grey base.

In-flight marking

When in flight, they display a distinct white wedge on their back.

Size comparison to related species

They are somewhat larger than the closely related common redshank.

Vocalization

Their typical call is a rapid sequence of three short fluty notes, which can be syllabified as teu-teu-teu.

Diet

Like most waders, they feed on small invertebrates, but they will also eat small fish and amphibians.

International conservation agreement

The common greenshank is one of the species covered by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).

Australian conservation status

In 2024, Tringa nebularia was listed as Endangered under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

Breeding range

This is a subarctic bird species that breeds from northern Scotland eastwards across northern Europe, and continues east across the Palearctic.

Migratory winter range

It is a migratory species, wintering in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Australasia, usually on fresh water.

Breeding habitat and nesting

It breeds on dry ground near marshy areas, laying approximately four eggs in a ground scrape.

Vagrant records outside normal range

Common greenshanks have been recorded as vagrants outside their normal range, including in Barbados, the United States, Canada, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Brazil.