Identifying waders. Part 4: Redshanks, Greenshanks and Ruff

 These species can cause confusion with beginners to wader watching but certain features make it not too difficult to sort out. 

Ruff 

Breeding male:

These arrive on our shores as from August and are unmistakable as they are totally individual in colouration and state of moult. They can range from golden yellow to jet back and all points between.

The middle bird in these distant shots of ruff coming out of breeding plumage is the same bird in the 2nd snap. Note longish legs and a slight decurve on the bill which again, can be red, orange or black. As can be seen in all these, huge variety and not likely to be confused with anything else.

Non breeding male

These are a brown bird, sometimes still with a red/orange bill, slightly decurved and invariably show orange/red legs which is where the confusion can set in. The ruff and reeve (female) are a strange, somewhat pot bellied shape with a humped back. 

This male in non breeding plumage at first glance does resemble a redshank but the shape is wrong, the bill thicker and shorter and there is much more white edging on the wing feathers whilst the belly is unmarked white. A slight tinge of brown on the chest. If this is a more peachey colour that will probably indicate a first year/juvenile bird. The latter stop off on our shores in huge numbers as from late August. The one above shows a dark tip to the bill only as it is covered in mud!

Juvenile:

Resembles the non breeding male in many ways but has a dark bill. Two juveniles shown here showing the slight decurve on the dark bill and dark legs but remember, this colour can always be mud, not the true leg tone. The light colouration on the breast is much more than the non breeding male whilst the belly is still white.

The reeve is similar to both the non breeding male and juvenile and to go into all possibilities of this relatively easy bird to identify but tricky to pinpoint age and sex is note required here. Below a selection of ruff shots to indicate the range, bearing in mind most seen in the UK will be in non breeding plumage.

Very difficult to say for sure but possibly top 2 are juvenile, 3rd is non breeding reeve and last one non breeding male. Enough here to be able to spot a ruff. 

In flight, a ruff has a barely perceptible white wing bar, a tapering tail edged white with a central brown bar. The white is plain, not marked. Usually a silent bird.

Conclusion: Medium length bill, thick at base and tapering, red/orange or dark. Legs variable but the pot belly look, humped back and white edging to the feathers as shown in these photos should be good enough to say ruff confidently.

Redshank

After Dunlin probably the most common of wader, so another good one to become familiar with to eliminate from your inquiries.

Typical redshank here, longer bill than ruff and more delicate, a darker, richer brown and, always helpful, frequently a white eye ring as shown here. Fortunately, not too much change for breeding plumage, just finer markings and a lighter colour but still a redshank. Note the bill changes from orange through to a dark tip.

In flight easy to identify as the trailing edge of the wing  from body to near the point is a broad white bar whilst it will also show a cigar shaped white area above the narrowly barred tail from which a good length of red/orange leg and feet protrude. Photo below shows all those features clearly. Upon take off and landing the Redshank can be very vocal with loud teeeyuu calls, usually uttered with a visibly open bill. A good call to learn for mud bank and marsh bird watching

Breeding plumage.

As can be seen, not big change, still orange legs and thin bill of medium length, straight and the white eye ring still present, albeit less obvious. Below, a few more redshank photos, almost all from North Norfolk as the breeding plumaged one above is. This successfully raised 2 juveniles just outside a hide upon Cley Reserve. The 3rd photo from The Camargue as there is also a Black Winged Stilt in the shot. However, the other bird is a Spotted redshank. See below for more details.

Spotted Redshank

This can be a confusion species with Common redshanks but again, many features differ. Firstly it has a far longer bill which is almost entirely dark apart from a red section near the base. Also, sounds minute but it is apparent through binoculars, the very tip of the bill is clearly downturned, sometimes looking like it is actually snapped. The legs of Spot Shank are orange red but much longer than Common redshank. Plumage in non breeding stages is similar, usually lighter whereas in breeding plumage it is unmistakeable: Jet black. In flight the Spotted redshank shows the white cigar shape but the wings are brown with no white on the secondaries. 

Spotted redshanks can be found at typical wadering grounds on migration, particularly in September where they may still show signs of the black breeding plumage but most will be as shown below. Note the salient points of colouration, bill tip and the final feature, a clear white supercilium (eye stripe) beginning at the base of the bill and reaching the eye. These photos from The Camargue, Southern France.

In picture 3 the bird, like godwits, is actually swimming, something I have never seen a Common redshank do. The penultimate photo shows 4 Spotted redshanks, a Little ringed plover and a Common sandpiper. (Later for the latter two.) The final picture shows the huge plumage change into breeding gear. No mistaking this one.

Greenshank

As the name implies, the legs of this bird are yellowy green and that is usually enough to identify it but if wading they will not be visible. The next diagnostic feature is that the bill has a clear upturn to it. Not as pronounced as an avocet but more so than a Bar tailed godwit. The bill of greenshank can be a yellowy/green through to a darkish blue tinge and is stronger and thicker than the redshank and Spotted redshank. Again, a migratory bird with them being a rare but annual visitor to Stansted Airport lagoons. These photos taken both in The Camargue and North Norfolk. 

Again, no huge change in the plumage throughout the year.

2nd photo is a distant shot from The Algarve, but in reality, this is how they are frequently observed. The upcurve on the bill is noticeable in both photo1 and 2, whilst the 3rd photo from Pont de Gau, The Camargue shows the clear white belly, light brown feathering on the throat and breast and obvious leg colouration. To the right is a Spotted redshank

The bird that most resembles the Greenshank is the rare to our shores, Marsh sandpiper. If you were to encounter one of these on your day out, rest assured, you would not be alone. There would be birders and photographers everywhere. Just for comparison here is one from The Camargue and one from Yala, Sri Lanka from 6 years ago. Note the needle thin bill which this bird uses to delicately pick insects off the surface of the water, whilst the stouter Greenshank bill is for probing mud. Also, a dark bill.

Identifying waders. Part 3: Sanderling, Knot and Curlew sandpiper

 Part 3 for Stortford Nature group. These 3 common species can cause difficulties with beginners and, in the case of the Curlew sandpiper, with more experienced birders. All three are seen on migration whilst Sanderling and Knot will also be found throughout the winter, often, in the case of Knot in huge numbers A few pointers here to help with field identification.

Top tip: Always take a note book and pencils ready to make field notes. You don't have to be an artist to do these, just the rough shape of the bird is fine. What is more important is the notes on call (if any) leg and beak colouration, special features such as eye stripe if present, wing bars seen in flight and tail feather patterning. Other things may be noticed and these should all noted. A good field sketch with annotated notes will help id the bird at home with books etc. On several occasions I have come across a rarer wader, such as Western sandpiper, Semipalmated sandpiper White rumped sandpiper and Temmink's stint and my field notes have pinpointed the species that I thought it may have been. Nowadays so many birders rely on getting a photo and these may well not show the salient plumage features. A note book takes up far less space than a Collins bird guide and it is hard to look at a bird and flick through pages at the same time. Especially so when you need to then read the text for the detail. I never take a field guide when out birding, even when bird watching in a new country, always notes and scribbled diagram. I include a mock up here which shows one of the three birds we are looking at. See if it helps work out which one?

2 pages of field notes. One for any flight details and other whilst on ground. Note also, I have included a comment on habits whilst feeding

Knot:

Rarely seen in its full red breeding plumage so just concentrate on the regular sightings of none breeding plumage. A fairly large wader, average length dark but not jet black bill but the main thing is: note the leg colour. Greeny/yellow. Often muddy so need to check before thinking they're black or dark brown. Habit, as shown here on Titchwell beach, often found probing around on barnacle infested rocky outcrops as well as checking out sea weed washed up on the beach. Flocks together at high tide with 10,000's at Snettisham in West Norfolk and also 1000's on Holme beach. As you travel further east along the Norfolk coastline they decrease in number. Note also the pattern around the head, a light brown crown with white cheeks but a light brown line from the base of the bill to the back of the head. Dark wing tips protrude above the tail.

Very rare to see one in flight, always in flocks. Immediately apparent is the overall light brown colour to the bird but the wings show a white central wing bar with black leading edge to the wings and a fading dark area to the trailing edge on both primary and secondary feathers. Note the top left bird still showing signs of breeding plumage but the wing bar still remains as does the dark bill.

In the 2 photos above note the differences in leg colour. First photo clearly shows yellow legs, indicating a 1st winter bird whilst the 2nd shot shows olive green legs, a full adult bird. Both photos from Holkham Beach December 2020.

Sanderling

Another Titchwell beach bird here and what is the first difference between this species and the Knot? This one feeding on a piece of razorfish, I think.

Black legs noted immediately. First photo, even at distance shows a grey bird with a jet black bill, white belly and dark along the leading edge of the wing whilst 2nd snap (Tavira, The Algarve) shows dark feathers on the wings indicating juvenile. Note the crown is grey with white cheeks but just a hint of greyness running through the eye from the base of the bill.

Sanderling are very fast flyers, as are most waders and it can be tricky to get any detail on their wing plumage. However, the white wing bar stands out, contrasting with the dark edges to the tail. Compare with Knot above to see the extent of this wing bar. Also, in flight, the wing will indeed just appear black/white/black. Note tail pattern here, white edged with grey in the corners.

Habit, rarely found away from sandy shores near the breaking waves where it runs extensively at the high water mark, often in large groups.

Curlew sandpiper;

A bird that usually only appears during migration (late March/early May) and more frequent (Late August/mid October.) A difficult bird top sort out when in with a flock of dunlin! This one is just coming out of breeding plumage when it will have been bright red. However, the long and clearly decurved bill will stand out if in a flock of dunlin. The other feature that will be clear to separate Dunlin is the white eye stripe (supercilium.) Dunlins do show these but they are much more prominent in curlew sandpipers.

In better light, both the decurved bill and white eye stripe is much clearer. It is longer legged to but when wading in a few inches of water that is none too helpful a hint. Can be noted when on mud banks. Again. the legs are dark and the general colouration is a darker brown than the Knot. Another feature that distinguishes Curlew sands from dunlin is the delicate peachy wash on the breast as clearly seen here.

In flight, tail is the obvious clue as shown here. Black terminal band with a contrasting white. A very weak white wingbar that may even not be visible but the clearly decurved bill is clearly evident here. Altogether a much darker wing pattern.

OK: have a go at these. No answers on a postcard but do leave a comment on the facebook page if you like, also stating what my fieldnotes described and what was the main thing that gave you the answer? Note, one of these may hark back to a previous description!!

Photo 1

Photo 2 the bird on the right. One on the left is a Little stint.

Photo 3

Photo 4

Photo 5 

Wader Identification: Part two, Godwits

 So moving on to godwits. 2 species to deal with here which superficially look alike but there are enough differences to sort them out pretty rapidly. 

The two species are Black tailed godwit and Bar tailed godwit. The names describe the tails perfectly but occasionally these may not be visible.

Black tailed godwit;

A long legged, long beaked bird found in large flocks, feeding on the mud and also capable of wading into deeper water to the extent that they can actually be seen swimming. As with dunlin there are several sub species but we won't dwell on those complexities here. Most of the time they will be seen in non breeding plumage, a basically grey/faun colour showing a long bill, pink at the base and darker towards the tip

2 photos here of none breeding plumage. Note the legs are dark and also the colouration of the bill. In the top photo the bill is wet but the dark tip can still be seen. The black tail feathers can be seen in both photos

The 2nd photo is full none breeding plumage. The flanks are plain whereas in the first there is a hint of edging showing it is or has moulted.

Both these photos show Black tailed godwit almost in full breeding plumage. In the first example note the flanks have already moulted and regrown back the grey/brown colour whereas in the 2nd example the orange and black feathers are more prominent. In both, straight bill and in the first photo a glimpse of the dark leg. Tail shows a black band as always. Also, note the barred markings on the belly.

In flight, identification becomes easy, even with the briefest of views. As well as showing the wide black terminal band on the tail, ONLY the Black tailed godwit has white wingbars as clearly seen in these two images, top one from Norfolk, second one from Aviero, Portugal. Also in flight the feet protrude further than the tail feathers, but good views needed to pick that feature out.

So to sum up: Black tailed godwit: black band on tail, straight bill pink ending in black at the tip, dark grey legs. prominent white wingbar in flight.

Bar Tailed godwit.

Again, a long legged and long billed wading bird that visits our shores either side of migration. However, the bird appears dumpier in the field and its legs are noticeably shorter than black tailed. The bill has a perceptible upturn to it. Very obvious when you encounter a mixed flock.

Bar tailed godwit in winter plumage. Dark legs again and the colouration on the bill is similar to Black tailed but the upturn of this bill can just be seen in this shot. Notice also, in none breeding plumage that the flank feathers are not plain as in the black tailed godwit. The barring on tail feathers is frequently not visible as is the case here. Note all three photos show the white eye stripe, even at distance in the 3rd photo from Titchwell beach. No white eye stripe on black tailed godwits

In photo one either a spring bird just entering into breeding plumage or a moulting bird coming out of breeding plumage as noted by the orange tinge on the neck

In breeding plumage there is no barring on the belly as in Black tailed. There is considerably less orange feathering on the wings whilst the dark legs and upturned bill remain the same. Note also, in both plumages there is a white eye stripe on bar tailed which is not found on black tailed. 

In flight, no white wing bar and the barred tail is evident along with a white triangular rump. Note that only the toes protrude beyond the tail feathers whereas in the black tailed the protrusion also includes the whole feet.

The Bar tailed photos in flight and summer plumage have been googled as I didn't have any that showed the pointers clearly enough. The rest are are all mine.

To sum up: Bar tailed godwit: more mottled appearance in winter plumage, barring on tail, upturned bill and white rump with no wingbars in flight.

This bird, which I'm sure you can work out for yourself was at Titchwell in 2015. I managed to get the photo showing the colour rings and the code was RORZ (Red Orange Red Z.) I sent the photo off to find out more. This female was ringed as a nestling four years previously. The data showed she arrived in The Wash in 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 at almost the same date each year. Only a remarkable 3 day change over the 4 years. 

Godwits pair for life but amazingly the females head to western Europe from Greenland and Iceland whilst the males prefer the sunnier climes of West Africa such as The Gambia. Even more incredible is that the pair meet up back at the breeding ground within 72 hours. If a bird has not found its partner in those 72 hours he or she will pair with another singleton. Just crazy really that they set off from different time zones and latitudes and arrive back in the same field at the same time.

A good task. Use Google images and put in Bar tailed godwit winter plumage and see if you can spot any that are labelled bar tailed that are black tailed. I noted a few.