Breeding birds: 25,000 pairs
Wintering birds: 130,000 birds
Family: Sandpipers And Allies
In breeding plumage adult redshanks have grey-brown upperparts with dark brown and black spots. The secondary flight feathers, rump, and lower back are white, and the tail is white with fine black bars.
The underparts are white with heavy dark brown spots and streaks on the breast, flanks, and belly. The underwing is white with grey-brown primaries.
Redshanks have a brown head with darker brown spots and streaks, except for the chin which is white. They long, straight bill is red with a black tip, the eyes are dark brown with white eyelids, and the legs and feet are bright red.
Out of breeding season redshanks have greyer upperparts with no marks, except for some narrow white fringes on their feathers. The underparts are paler with fine streaks and a dull brown wash on the breast. The flanks and undertail coverts have fine dark streaks.
They have a white eye-ring, and the bill is duller at the base. The legs and feet are pale orange. Males and females are similar but the female has lighter upperparts.
Juvenile redshanks have brown upperparts with spots and streaks, and buff edges to their feathers. The underparts are white with dark brown streaks. The bill is dark grey with a reddish-brown base, and the legs are pale yellow-orange.
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Redshanks breed between April and June. They are monogamous and nest in solitary pairs or loose colonies. The nest is a shallow depression in the ground covered with grass stems and leaves. The base of the nest is built by the male and the female lines it with twigs and leaves.
Redshanks lay 3-5 white eggs with brown marks which are incubated by both adults for 23-24 days. Chicks have cream and buff down with dark streaks on their upperparts and buff and white underparts. They leave the nest and can feed themselves within 24 hours but the parents still care for them until they fledge 23-25 days after hatching.
Redshanks eat insects, spiders, worms, tadpoles, and crustaceans. They forage for food by probing their bill into rocky, sandy, and muddy shores. On mudflats and grassland they will feed in flocks.
Redshanks can be seen all year round in the UK. During breeding season they can be spotted in salt marshes, flooded meadows, and near lakes. In winter they are joined by migrating birds mostly from Iceland and can be found on estuaries and coastal lagoons.
Britain's Birds
RSPB Handbook Of British Birds
Collins Bird Guide
Redshanks are also known as ‘sentinels of the marshes’ as they are usually the first bird to be disturbed, flying off with a noisy cry.
