Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
Photo: Terence Alexander
Description
- The Common Greenshank is a large, heavily built wading bird.
- It grows up to 30–35 cm long, has a wingspan of 55–65 cm, and weighs about 170 grams.
- It has a long, upturned bill with a pointed tip. It has longish pale greyish-green or greenish-yellow legs and feet.
- Their wings and back are pale grey-brown with fine white feather margins. The grey extends to the sides of the breast and they have a white belly.
- They eat molluscs, crustaceans, insects and, occasionally fish and frogs.
- Their character is described as nervous, wary, noisy and excitable. They may be seen dashing about or bobbing their head while feeding alone.
- They have clipped wingbeats and fly in a zigzag pattern with their toes protruding beyond their tail.
Find out more about the Common Greenshank on Canberra NatureMapr.
Where to find them
- The Common Greenshank breeds across multiple locations from the British Isles through Scandinavia to eastern Russia. They migrate to Australia every year in August and return to their northern breeding grounds in March.
- During their non-breeding season, they are found in many coastal areas and inland wetlands of south-east Australia. They are also found in freshwater habitats and flooded grasslands.
ACT sightings
- From October to January, there have been irregular sightings (22% of years 1974-2014).
- You can find them at Kelly's Swamp in the Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve. There have also been other sightings at the Fyshwick Sewage Ponds, Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve, Lake Burley Griffin and Tuggeranong Weir.
Conservation threats
The main threats to the Common Greenshank are loss and damage to wetlands. Other threats include:
- increased frequency of severe drought
- disturbance from recreational activities
- predators such as foxes, dogs and cats
- poor water quality, light and noise pollution caused by closeness to urban areas.
Conservation status
- International – Least Concern (International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List).
- National – Endangered (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999).
- Australian Capital Territory – Endangered (Nature Conservation Act 2014).
Conservation actions
In the ACT, the wetlands where the Common Greenshank feeds and roosts are mostly in protected areas. Conservation actions to improve its habitat include to:
- manage threats, especially those relating to urban development
- examine population trends and habitat
- encourage and support community involvement.