Another species of the family of sandpipers. As the name suggests the bird has a bright red beak with a black tip and equally red legs. The bird is a bit bigger than the Common snipe, its body size is similar to Blackbird. In comparison to Common snipes or Black-tailed godwits, the Common redshank has much shorter beak and although it can be found in the same environment, it feeds a bit differently: it wades in shallow water searching for invertebrates, including snails, and eating plant foods. It is interesting to note that birds from the family of sandpipers have sensory cells at the end of their beak which helps them find food.
The Common redshank is often revealed by its characteristic singing: we can hear it before we can see it, because it screams loudly during the flight and its white-gray plumage blends with the color of the sky. It willingly nests in the vicinity of other members of the same species or other sandpipers, and has similar environmental requirements. It builds its nest on the ground, a cavity filled with leaves and grass.
These birds migrate but their wintering grounds are close – the entire Atlantic coast of Western Europe, the Mediterranean coast suits them to spend the cold season, but some individuals fly further and reach south of the Sahara.
It is a relatively abundant species. Due to the disappearance of suitable habitats in Poland, unfortunately, it is becoming rarer, just like other species of waders.
Wesja Polska