Sandpipers · Shorebirds
Wood Sandpiper
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Tringa glareola
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Voice
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
How to recognize it
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19–23 cm, slightly smaller than a thrush
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Long yellowish legs project beyond the tail in flight
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Brown back with small white spots
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White underparts, pale eyebrow
About the species
The wood sandpiper is a small, long-legged wader that moves through shallow water and wet mud with quick, alert steps. Its call is a clear, repeated “chiff-chiff” that carries well over marshes and pools.
It forages by probing the surface with its bill, picking up insects, worms, crustaceans, and other small prey. Outside the breeding season it can gather in loose flocks, and during migration it often stays active around the edges of lakes, riverbanks, and flooded ground.
It breeds across subarctic wetlands from Scotland east across Eurasia and spends the winter farther south in Africa, South Asia, and Australia. In many places it is a regular visitor from mid-October to mid-May, and it stays close to freshwater habitats while moving and feeding.
Where to find
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Along pond edges, canal banks, and shallow muddy inlets — the Wood Sandpiper probes the silt with a fine bill.
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On damp meadows and wet lawns by water, where it makes quick little runs to snatch insects from the surface.
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At reed fringes on quiet shores, often low to the ground and pausing with alert head-bobs.
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Right after rain on muddy paths beside water, look for short bursts of running and sudden pecks at the ground.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Tringa glareola Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Wood sandpiper Encyclopedia article