Nordmann's Greenshank
Tringa guttifer
Rare and declining Asian shorebird. Similar to Common Greenshank, with a burlier, more bull-headed appearance, shorter legs, and thicker bill. Breeding adult mostly gray above, white below, with densely spotted breast and upper sides. Nonbreeding adult pearly gray above and snowy white below. Bicolored bill is olive-green at the base, darkening towards the tip. Call is distinctive, usually a single nasal note, instead of the mellow “tu-tu-tu!” of Common Greenshank. Breeds in coastal marsh and sparse wet forests; winters on mudflats, coastal wetlands, aquaculture ponds, and paddies.
Identification
The Nordmann's greenshank is a medium-sized sandpiper, at 29–32 cm (11–13 in) long, with a slightly upturned, bicoloured bill, and relatively short yellow legs. Breeding adults are boldly marked, with whitish spots and spangling on black upperside; heavily streaked head and upper neck; broad, blackish, crescentic spots on lower neck and breast; and darker lores.
Taxonomy
It is fairly aberrant and was formerly placed in the monotypic genus Pseudototanus. It is an endangered species, and was not available for molecular analyses in Pereira & Baker's study (2005) of the genus Tringa. It appears closest overall to the semipalmata-flavipes and the stagnatilis-totanus-glareola groups, though it also has some similarities to the greater yellowlegs and common greenshank.
- Scientific name
- Tringa guttifer
- Authority
- (Nordmann, 1835)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Tringa
Range and habitat
The Nordmann's greenshank breeds in eastern Russia along the south-western and northern coasts of the Sea of Okhotsk and on Sakhalin Island. Its non-breeding range is not fully understood, but significant numbers have been recorded in South Korea, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on passage, and in Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia in winter. It has also been recorded on passage or in winter in Japan, North Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (which may prove to be an important part of its wintering range), Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia. There are unconfirmed records from Nepal and Guam (to US). It probably has a population of 500–1,000 individuals. It has been recorded several times on 80-mile beach in Western Australia and most recently an individual was discovered on Cairns Esplanade in Queensland, Australia. It was known to have over-wintered there from December 2020 to May 2021. In mid-December 2021 what is thought to be the same individual bird, returned to Cairns Esplanade. It has now returned for four straight seasons, being regularly seen in 2022 and 2023.
- Breeding range
- PAL : coastal larch forest of ne Palearctic: w, s coastal Sea of Okhotsk, Tatar Strait (w of Sakhalin) and Sakhalin (e Siberia)
- Non-breeding range
- OR : coastal mudflats and saltpans of tropical s se Asia: se Bangladesh, s Myanmar, s Thailand, Malay Pen., Sumatra and sw Borneo
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red-winged Parrot
Aprosmictus erythropterus
Bright pale-green parrot with a red shoulder patch; note blue rump in flight. Male has black back. Occurs in a wide variety of habitats where it feeds primarily in trees. Flight style recalls a large pigeon.
White-throated Redstart
Phoenicurus schisticeps
Well-named; both the male and female have a white throat, as well as a long white wing stripe, a flashing orange rump, and a dark tail. The male has a dark gray hood, a black face, and a deep orange belly. The female is less brightly colored, but no other female redstart in range has her white throat and long wing stripe. Breeds at high altitude, in stunted bushes and conifers, and winters in at middle altitudes in open scrubby areas.
Henderson Petrel
Pterodroma atrata
A typical uniformly grayish-brown petrel with pale mottling at the base of the bill that gives it a somewhat “frosted” facial appearance. Pale bar along the leading edge of the underwing between the body and elbow is evident in flight. Highly pelagic, visiting land only to nest. Similar to Kermadec Petrel, but lacks the white primary shafts in the upperwing of that species and is overall more uniformly colored. Providence Petrel is similar but appears much heavier-chested and paler-faced, with more extensively mottled gray-brown tones across the body. Herald Petrel is very similar, but has much more contrasting dark-and-light underwing pattern. Henderson Petrel is silent at sea.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.