Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareola

Genus · Shanks, Tattlers, and Allies Family · Sandpipers and Allies
Observation tips Difficulty: EASY
Best time
🕒 Any
Activity
☀️ Diurnal
Best months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Observation habitat
Coastal shallowsMarshMuddy margins

Look for the very long white eyebrow and finely spotted back. Their legs are typically yellowish-green.

Wood Sandpiper
Stats
Wingspan35–40 cm
Weight50–90 g
Length19–23 cm
Lifespan wild3–11 yrs
Size
XS
S
M
L
XL
Nesting
Nest typeScrape
Clutch size4 eggs
Incubation22–23 days
Breeding months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Regional Status (Europe)
LC
Least Concern (Europe)
IUCN Red List
MigrationMigratory
Social BehaviourFlocking

Diet: Insectivore

🦀Crustaceans
🦗Insects
🐛Larvae
🕷️Spiders
🪱Worms

Habitat

🚜 Farmland🛶 Lake wetlands🌾 Marsh❄️ Tundra
✦ Fun Fact

The Wood Sandpiper is one of the few waders that sometimes nests off the ground, occasionally using old tree nests built by other birds such as thrushes or crows.

About

A delicate wader of damp marshes and bogs. It has a spangled brown back and a very prominent white eyebrow. It is a summer visitor to Northern and Eastern Europe. It is smaller and more graceful than the Green Sandpiper. It prefers open, marshy ground over wooded areas.

Behaviour

Wood Sandpipers are active and nervous. When flushed, they zig-zag into the sky with a sharp 'chiff-chiff-chiff' call. On the ground, they frequently bob their tails. They often rest in small groups during migration in flooded fields. They typically nest on the ground.

Similar species

Green Sandpiper
🐦
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus
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