Tringa erythropus - Spotted Redshank
Feather characters. Barbules are extremely short (0.32-0.39 mm) and divided into pigmented nodes and (partly) pigmented (more than 50%) internodes. Slightly thickened nodes (28-36 per mm) are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules, only slightly decreasing in size towards distal end. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Minute prongs may be present along the entire length of barbules, on both sides of the pennulum. These prongs are unequally distributed, and many nodal structures without prongs may be found.
Field characters. Size 31 cm. Weight 158 g (140-210) (Dunning, 1993). Female slightly larger than male. Distinguishable from other waders by black plumage with small white spots on upperparts. In flight with conspicuous narrow white wedge on rump; underwing white. In winter upperparts ash-grey with white marks, supercilium white, eye-stripe dark grey, face and throat grey-white, and chest grey (with few streaks); rest of underparts white, faintly barred. Legs red or black; bill dark brown with dark red base during breeding-season; outside breeding-season, legs carrot-orange, bill horn-brown with orange base. Winter adult confusable with Redshank, but former is greyer, has different call, longer bill and legs; in flight without the white wing-bar of Redshank (but with some whitish markings), feet trailing well beyond tail. Often mingles with Redshank and Greenshank (Tringa nebularia, not included in BRIS).
Voice. Has a distinctive call when flushed and in flight: a clear, quick "chueet". During breeding season it produces also a repeated chattering monosyllable "chit-chit-chit".
Distribution. Locally a fairly common breeder. An uncommon winter visitor, but fairly common as passage migrant. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Less marine than relatives; outside the breeding season, occurs on mudflats along the coast, but can be found also on inland borders of freshwater bodies. Breeds in low Arctic, on wooded and open tundra, typically near trees.
Food. Chiefly insects, but also some crustaceans, molluscs and occasionally fishes and frogs. Rapid moving prey is caught by running in pursuit; main feeding method is jabbing forward to ground. When foraging, swims readily; when wading, sometimes seen up-ending like a duck.