Common redshank

Common redshank
Andreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5 · source
Name	Common redshank
Status	LC
Genus	Tringa
Species	totanus
Authority	(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common redshank

The common redshank is a medium-sized wader in the family Scolopacidae, long associated with wetland systems and coastal marshes across Europe and Asia. It occurs in a broad range that links key regions such as United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Russia, India and China, and has been the subject of studies by institutions including the Royal Society, Natural History Museum, London, Smithsonian Institution, Zoological Society of London and British Trust for Ornithology. Ornithologists from the Linnaean Society of London, American Ornithological Society, International Union for Conservation of Nature and regional bodies such as RSPB have contributed to its taxonomy and monitoring.

Taxonomy and systematics

The species was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 within the binomial nomenclature system that also frames taxa studied by the Royal Society of London and curated in collections at the Natural History Museum, London. Molecular phylogenetics involving researchers at University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Universiteit van Amsterdam and University of Helsinki have compared it to congeners such as Tringa erythropus and Tringa nebularia, and to genera treated by the American Museum of Natural History and Smithsonian Institution. Subspecies delimitation has been debated in literature appearing in journals like Ibis, Journal of Avian Biology, The Auk and proceedings from conferences organized by the British Ornithologists' Union. Historical nomenclature and type specimens trace to collections influenced by figures associated with the Linnaean Society and museums such as the Natural History Museum, Stockholm.

Description

Adults exhibit mottled brown plumage with white underparts and bold white wing patches visible in flight; field guides issued by the British Trust for Ornithology, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and BirdLife International emphasize diagnostic features. The bill is straight to slightly upturned with a reddish base, and legs are characteristically red during many seasons; photographic plates in works by John Gould, Roger Tory Peterson, David Attenborough programming, and field guides sold via the Audubon Society illustrate these traits. Vocalizations—sharp, piping alarm calls—are described in recordings archived at the British Library sound collections, Xeno-canto, and exhibits curated by the Natural History Museum, London.

Distribution and habitat

Its breeding range extends across northern and temperate regions tied to landscapes in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia and parts of Scotland, with migratory movements to wintering areas including the Mediterranean Sea coasts, West Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Occupied habitats encompass marshes, wet meadows, estuaries and mudflats recognized under policies by entities such as the Ramsar Convention, European Union directives, and protected areas managed by agencies like Natural England and Natura 2000. Site-based conservation importance has been highlighted for locales such as the Wadden Sea, Morecambe Bay, Doñana National Park, Sundarbans and the Gulf of Thailand in reports by UNESCO and BirdLife International.

Behavior and ecology

Foraging behavior—probing and pecking at soft substrates—is documented in field studies conducted by teams from University of Groningen, University of Cambridge', ZSL and published in outlets like Journal of Applied Ecology and Marine Biology. Diet comprises invertebrates common to estuarine systems, linking ecological interactions with species inventories compiled by WWF, UN Environment Programme, and regional studies in journals such as Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. Migratory connectivity analyses leveraging ringing schemes coordinated by the European Union for Bird Ringing, British Trust for Ornithology and the EURING network have elucidated links between breeding sites in Scandinavia and wintering grounds in West Africa and South Asia.

Breeding and lifecycle

Breeding occurs in spring and early summer across tundra, bog and marsh sites studied by researchers at University of Helsinki, University of Stockholm, Scottish Natural Heritage and conservation NGOs like RSPB. Nests are shallow scrapes and clutch sizes, incubation periods and chick development have been quantified in papers in Ibis and Bird Study; demographic parameters inform regional management advised by European Commission policy instruments and conservation NGOs including BirdLife International and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Migratory timing and molt strategies have been analyzed in ringing and telemetry projects supported by institutions such as the Natural History Museum, London and international collaborations between universities across Europe and Asia.

Conservation status and threats

The species is currently listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, though population trends show regional declines driven by habitat loss, drainage, land-use change and disturbance—pressures chronicled in reports by Ramsar Convention, European Environment Agency, UNEP and NGOs such as WWF and BirdLife International. Threat mitigation involves protected area designation under frameworks like Natura 2000, wetland restoration projects funded by the European Commission and conservation action plans developed with stakeholders including Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage and international conservation programs coordinated by Wetlands International.

Category:Tringa Category:Birds described in 1758