Waterbird Wednesday week 13 - Green Sandpiper

This will be the last Waterbird Wednesday post until September as these blogs mirror the core Wetland Bird Survey season.

The Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) is mainly a passage migrant to the UK, but there is also a small wintering population of less than 1'000 birds. It is a relatively small wader, smaller than a Common Redshank but larger than a Common Sandpiper. On passage, they can be found feeding on invertebrates on small stretches of fresh water such as ditches or pond edges.

Identification

Overall a rather elegant wader, with a medium-long, straight, thin bill and medium-long legs. Very dark on the back, with dark wings that can appear black in flight. The underwings are dark and they have a white rump, with broad black bars on the tail. When flushed, this feature is clearly seen as it flies away in zig-zags. The legs are yellow-greenish, and the bill is dark with a slightly paler base.

Adult summer

An adult in summer plumage has a very dark back with white speckles. The head and neck is clearly streaked, with a clear border between the streaking on the breast and the white belly. The lores are white, making a strong 'half-supercilium'.

Juvenile

A juvenile bird has diffuse buff spots on the back, and the streaking on the head and neck is much less obviously marked. This makes the head and neck look much darker than in adult. Also, the supercilium is weaker. There is still a clear border between the breast markings and the belly.

Similar species

Wood Sandpiper

The Wood Sandpiper is also predominantly a passage migrant to the UK, with a small breeding population in the Scottish Highlands. Overall smaller than a Green Sandpiper, a Wood Sandpiper is also more elegant, with longer legs and a longer neck. In flight, the long legs are obvious with the toes projecting past the tip of the tail. The underwing is light, and the tail has narrower bars than in Green Sandpiper - however they do still have a white rump. The back is a paler brown than that of a Green Sandpiper. The legs are yellow.

Adult summer

An adult in breeding plumage is relatively easy to distinguish from a Green Sandpiper. There is strong white spotting on the back, unlike in Green Sandpiper. There is a weak supercilium and a dark eyestripe, and the breast markings are diffuse, without the clear cut-off of the Green Sandpiper.

Juvenile

A juvenile also has this diffuse pattern, and a very strong supercilium and eye-stripe. The spots on the back are large, and the back is paler than in Green Sandpiper. The right hand image shows a juvenile Wood Sandpiper (left) with a juvenile Green Sandpiper (right).

Common Sandpiper

Overall much smaller than a Green Sandpiper, the Common Sandpiper is much commoner than the Green Sandpiper with a breeding population of around 15'000 pairs. There is also a small winter population. The Common Sandpiper is much dumpier than the Green Sandpiper, with much lighter markings on the back. The best feature is the white 'shoulder' seen in the Common Sandpiper. Also, in flight, a Common Sandpiper has a white wingbar and a tail pattern more similar to that of a Dunlin.

Adult summer

Markings on back very different from green sandpiper, having a 'golden' coloured back with black spots and streaks.

Juvenile

Like adult summer, the back is lighter with dark lines and 'anchor' marks.

Solitary Sandpiper

Rare vagrant from America. Very similar to Green Sandpiper, with a few minor differences. Slightly smaller overall, with yellow legs. Looks slimmer and more elegant, and is longer-winged in flight. Easiest feature is the tail pattern, which has a dark centre and thin bars up the tail and rump. There is no white rump as in Green Sandpiper.