Tringa nebularia
Common Greenshanks are widespread wading birds, feeding on a wide variety of invertebrates, tadpoles and small fish found along and in the shallow margins of dams and ponds, riverbanks, marshlands and swamps, lagoons, estuaries and beaches. They are usually seen alone although they might congregate in small flocks at abundant food sources.
The Common Greenshank is also a summer migrant to South Africa, being found locally in all our provinces (though very patchily in the arid Northern Cape) between August (some arrive in July already) and February. They breed in an enormous swathe of northern Europe and Asia, while their non-breeding range stretches from pockets of western Europe and most of Africa to southern Asia and Australia. The IUCN estimates a population of up to 1.5 million birds and classifies the Common Greenshank as being of least concern.
Adult birds are about 32cm long and weigh approximately 180g.
DeWetsWild 