Common
Redshank
Tringa totanus
Redshank, Kedidi Kaki Dian/Merah (Malay)
Common Redshanks are quickly identified by their red legs, but
confusion can occur if their legs are mud-covered. And juveniles
may have greenish-yellow legs.
During the breeding season, Common Redshanks hunt insects, spiders,
worms. The rest of the time, they also eat molluscs and
crustaceans, and sometimes small fishes and tadpoles.
Common Redshanks patrol rocky, muddy or sandy shores walking in an
easy continuous fast pace, regularly pecking at the surface. They
find their food by sight and only rarely probe into the mud or
sand.
They may also sweep their bills through the water. They follow the
outgoing tideline, even wading or swimming into the water to be
first to scour the emerging mudflats. They feed both during the day
and at night, whenever the tidal situation best suits their
foraging style.
Common Redshanks feed in dense flocks for safety, especially on
open areas (mudflats or flooded grasslands) and at high tide. But
at low tide, they spread out. Some adults may also defend feeding
territories. They also roost together in large flocks, often with
other waders.
Wary and nervous birds, Common Redshanks are often the first to
panic and give noisy alarm calls to other nearby waders. When
disturbed, they constantly bob their tail. They prefer marine
habitats and only visit freshwater wetlands when high tides
submerge coastal roosts.
Breeding
(April-June): Common Redshanks breed across the Pelearctic:
Iceland, Britain, much of Europe, the Middle East, and temperate
Asia (e.g., the Himalayas up to 4,500m). Common Redshanks are
monogamous and pairs will return to the same site and same partner.
Male courtship display includes a rising and falling "yodelling"
song flight during which he vibrates his wings held downwards below
the horizontal.
Common Redshanks nest on a wide variety of inland and coastal
wetland habitats. They are usually breed in high density at coastal
saltmarshes, inland damp grasslands, but are also found in swampy
moorlands and high grass steppes. They may form loose breeding
colonies and are not strongly territorial. In fact, when a predator
attacks a nest, all the adults gather from a wide area to mob
it.
The nest is just a shallow depression on the ground, concealed near
or under vegetation, e.g., at the base of long grasses, with the
grass stems forming a roof. The male builds the base and the female
lines it with twigs and leaves. 3-5, average 4, eggs are laid. Both
parents incubate, usually 22-25 days. The About a day after they
hatch, the young disperse from the nest to feed themselves,
although the parents keep a watchful eye on them. Initially, both
parents look after the young. But the female usually leaves the
breeding site first. The male remains to look after the young until
they fledge at about a month old. Sometimes, the parents split up
the chicks between them, raising them separately.
Migration: Common
Redshanks can be seen in large numbers during migrations, in flocks
of up to 80. They are, however, less migratory than others of the
Tringa species. Migration distances range from 500 to 6,500km
one-way. They usually migrate at night. Some populations in Western
Europe and Iceland are resident. Others winter in areas from Africa
to the Philippines. In Singapore, they winter on muddy coasts,
occasionally inland swamps, avoiding inland and freshwater areas.
Their numbers peak around September.
Status and
threats: Common Redshanks are not considered endangered.
However, their numbers are falling primarily due to the loss of
their breeding grounds as these are converted for agriculture and
other human uses. On the other hand, grazing by domestic cattle
actually helps to create suitable low-grass areas for Common
Redshanks to nest.
Breeding adult
Non-breeding adult
At Sungei Buloh in partial breeding plumage
Main features:
Medium-sized (27-29cm), slender; legs long and red (becoming redder
during breeding); bill (3-5cm) stout with red base black tip; white
rump and lower back.
Adult:
Summer/breeding-Above darker, brown, mottled; below white with bars
or streaks on breast.
Winter/non-breeding-Above and head and neck grey-brown; below
white.
Juvenile: Above
brown and streaked darker; bill dull reddish brown; legs
greenish.
Call: During
flight, a loud teu-hoo or teu-hoo-hoo. But has a wide variety of
calls. When alarmed, the calls are made more rapidly.
In flight:
Prominent broad white trailing edge to wing and barred tail.
Similar birds:
Spotted Redshank (T. erythropus): The Spotted is a rare passage
migrant. It lacks the white trailing edge to its secondary
feathers, is larger, has longer legs and a longer, more slender
bill.
Status in
Singapore: Very common winter non-breeding visitor and
passage migrant throughout the island and on North and South
offshore islands.
World
distribution: Throughout Europe, Africa and Asia to
Sulawesi.
Classification:
Family Scolopacidae. World 88 species, Singapore 34 species. From
the Order Charadiiformes.
