Sandpipers · Shorebirds
Marsh Sandpiper
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Tringa stagnatilis
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How to recognize it
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Body length 22–26 cm
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Thin, straight bill and very long yellowish legs
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Breeding plumage: greyish-brown above with dark spots; in winter, grey above, white below, pale grey head and neck
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White wedge on the back visible in flight
About the species
The Marsh Sandpiper has grey-brown upperparts in breeding plumage, mottled darker and marked with small spots across its pale breast and neck. Its long, straight bill and very long yellowish legs are clear against the paler underside. In winter, the upperparts turn greyer and the head and neck become pale grey. A white wedge on its back shows in flight.
It probes shallow water and soft mud with its bill as it wades. On its wintering grounds, it is usually seen alone or in small groups.
It breeds in wet lowland meadows and open steppe and taiga wetlands, then migrates south for winter, mainly to Africa and India. It takes insects and small aquatic invertebrates from shallow water and mud, and spends the colder months around freshwater marshes and lakes; some continue to Southeast Asia and Australia.
Where to find
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During the wintering season in Africa or South Asia, look at freshwater marshes and lakes for Marsh Sandpipers feeding alone or in small groups, probing shallow water and mud with their bills.
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In the breeding season, scan wet patches in lowland meadows, where they probe for insects and small aquatic invertebrates.
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During breeding season in steppe and taiga wetlands, watch near water bodies: nesting colonies are close to the water, with nests in shallow hollows on the ground.
