The common redshank is an Eurasian wader that visits Singapore’s shorelines. This migratory species is a widespread breeding bird across temperate Eurasia, wintering on coasts around the Mediterranean, on the Atlantic coast of Europe from Ireland and Great Britain southwards, and in South Asia.
These birds can be quickly identified by their characteristic red legs, while the juveniles can be identified by their greenish-yellow legs.
The wary and nervous birds feed in dense flocks for safety and are often the very first birds to panic and give noisy alarms to other nearby birds when there is a threat. They patrol rocky, muddy or sandy shores, walking at a fast pace, regularly pecking at the surface.
Additionally, another interesting characteristic of this bird can be found in its scientific name, Tringa totanus. Its genus name Tringa comes from the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on the Ancient Greek trungas. Likewise, the specifics totanus originates from Tótano, the Italian name for this bird.
References:
- BirdLife International (2013). “Tringa totanus”. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2013: e.T22693211A50404828. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T22693211A50404828.en.
- Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 388, 390. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- Species factsheet: Tringa totanus”. http://www.birdlife.org. BirdLife International. 2008.
