Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola
Inland water shorelines. Upperparts dark brown with white speckling; white eyebrows; buffy breast; white belly; yellow-green legs.
LC
Not Endemic
Description
Common summer visitor, some all year. Has well-spotted upper parts, broad, distinct eyebrow extending behind the eye, short, straight bill and fairly long, dull yellow legs. In flight shows pale grey underwing coverts, differing mainly in this and bill length from [Green Sandpiper] ; feet protrude well beyond tail. When flushed towers up and calls a flat, triple ‘chiff-iff-iff’; also has a high-pitched alarm call ‘tchi-tchi-tchi-tchi-tchi’. Occurs singly or in small groups on most shallow inland waters, flooded grassland and coastal estuaries.
Quick Facts
Size
20 cm - M
Names
A: Bosruiter
Z: umakhwifikwifi
Ss: Mosalakatane Wa Moru
G: Bruchwasserläufer
Bird Family
A group of small birds usually found along shorelines and wading in shallow water. They usually have longish legs and bills for probing mud, feeding on small insects and invertebrates. Species breed in northern regions and during this time the males assume richly coloured plumage. They migrate south in drab non-breeding plumage at the start of the southern hemisphere summer. Illustrations depict the species in non-breeding plumage, unless otherwise indicated.
Distribution
Gallery
Behaviour
Breeding
Habitat
Occurs singly or in small groups on most shallow inland waters, flooded 'grassland' and coastal estuaries.
