Marsh Sandpiper

Overview

The marsh sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) is a small wader that resembles a small, elegant greenshank. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is a migratory species across the Palearctic.

Identification

• Length 22–26 cm with a wingspan of 55–59 cm and a weight of 45–120 g.
• Possesses a long, fine bill and very long yellowish legs.
• Breeding plumage is greyish brown, paler in winter, featuring a visible white wedge up the back in flight.
• In breeding plumage, the breast and neck display diffuse small brownish spots, while the upperparts are light brown with darker mottling.

Habitat

This species breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to the Russian Far East. It primarily winters on fresh water wetlands such as swamps and lakes in Africa and India, with some populations migrating to Southeast Asia and Australia.

Did you know?

The first marsh sandpiper recorded in Canada was found in Ontario in 2022, an event that attracted over a thousand birders from across Canada and the United States.