Green sandpiper

The green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) is a small wader

(shorebird) of the Old World. It represents an ancient
lineage of the genus Tringa; its only close living relative
is the solitary sandpiper (T. solitaria). They both have
brown wings with little light dots and a delicate but contrasting neck and chest pattern. In addition, both species
nest in trees, unlike most other scolopacids.[2]
Given its basal position in Tringa, it is fairly unsurprising
that suspected cases of hybridisation between this species
and the common sandpiper (A. hypoleucos) of the sister
genus Actitis have been reported.

Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden

Description

2 Distribution and ecology

It breeds across subarctic Europe and Asia and is a
migratory bird, wintering in southern Europe, the Indian
Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and tropical Africa. Food
is small invertebrate items picked o the mud as this
species works steadily around the edges of its chosen
pond.
This is not a gregarious species, although sometimes
small numbers congregate in suitable feeding areas.
Green sandpiper is very much a bird of freshwater, and is
often found in sites too restricted for other waders, which
tend to like a clear all-round view.
It lays 24 eggs in an old tree nest of another species,
such as a eldfare (Turdus pilaris). The clutch takes about
three weeks to hatch.

The green sandpiper is one of the species to which the

Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. Widely distributed
and not uncommon, it is not considered a threatened
This species is a somewhat plump wader with a dark species by the IUCN on a global scale.[1]
greenish-brown back and wings, greyish head and breast
and otherwise white underparts. The back is spotted
white to varying extents, being maximal in the breeding 3 References
adult, and less in winter and young birds. The legs and
short bill are both dark green.
Wintering adult near Hodal, Faridabad district, Haryana,
(India)

[1] BirdLife International (2012). "Tringa ochropus". IUCN

Red List of Threatened Species.
Version 2013.2.
International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.

It is conspicuous and characteristically patterned in ight,

with the wings dark above and below and a brilliant white
rump. The latter feature reliably distinguishes it from the
slightly smaller but otherwise very similar solitary sandpiper (T. solitaria) of North America.

[2] Pereira, Srgio Luiz & Baker, Alan J. (2005):

Multiple Gene Evidence for Parallel Evolution
and Retention of Ancestral Morphological States

In ight it has a characteristic three-note whistle.

1

in the Shanks (Charadriiformes:

Scolopacidae).
Condor 107(3): 514526.
DOI: 10.1650/00105422(2005)107[0514:MGEFPE]2.0.CO;2 PDF fulltext

External links
Green sandpiper - Species text in The Atlas of
Southern African Birds.
Ageing and sexing (PDF; 4.0 MB) by Javier BlascoZumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze
Green sandpiper, Avibase

EXTERNAL LINKS

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

5.1

Text

Green sandpiper Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_sandpiper?oldid=673844362 Contributors: William Avery, Jimfbleak,

Raven in Orbit, JohnCastle, Robbot, Radomil, Abigail-II, Gdr, Xezbeth, Mwng, Kurt Shaped Box, HenkvD, Stemonitis, Jannex, Pkuczynski, EnSamulili, Koavf, Brighterorange, Eubot, TeaDrinker, Gdrbot, YurikBot, Nicke L, Dysmorodrepanis~enwiki, Voyevoda, Lt-wiki-bot,
Notay, Cato Neimoidia, J. Spencer, Snowmanradio, Drinibot, Beastie Bot, Cydebot, JamesAM, Thijs!bot, Dnem, Jarvin, Charlesjsharp,
Idioma-bot, Rei-bot, Ronmore, SieBot, Jmgarg1, DragonBot, Panellet, BOTarate, Addbot, LaaknorBot, Lightbot, First Light, Zorrobot,
Luckas-bot, Yobot, KamikazeBot, JackieBot, Materialscientist, RibotBOT, FrescoBot, Simuliid, Gouerouz, Dger, U317537, DexDor, Alph
Bot, EmausBot, Kmoksy, ZroBot, Makecat-bot, HeinzelMann1, Bartkauz, RhinoMind, Coreyemotela, Klausrassinger and Anonymous:
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5.2

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