Birdsong field guide
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus
A medium-sized, solitary wader distinguished by its dark, greenish-black upperparts and a brilliant white rump that is highly visible in flight. It is uniquely known among its relatives for its preference for inland, wooded freshwater habitats rather than open coasts.
What it sounds like
A loud, piercing, and rhythmic three-note whistle: 'tlu-it-wit-wit'.
Field notes
- Unlike most sandpipers, it nests in trees, often using abandoned nests of thrushes, woodpigeons, or squirrels.
- When flushed, it performs a characteristic erratic, zigzagging flight similar to a Common Snipe.
- It possesses very dark underwings, which contrast sharply with its white belly when seen from below.
- The species is highly territorial during the winter, often returning to the exact same small drainage ditch or pond each year.
- Its legs are a distinctive dark olive-green, which helps differentiate it from the Wood Sandpiper's yellowish legs.
Habitat
Small freshwater bodies, forest streams, flooded ditches, and sewage pools; rarely found on open tidal flats.
Range
Breeds across the subarctic Palearctic from Scandinavia to Siberia; winters in southern Europe, Africa, and South Asia.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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