Species:

Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Change species:
Main Images:
Length (cm):
30-33
48-53
Wingspan (cm):
68-70
90-96
Weight (gram):
130-270
300-400
Size group:
Thrush-size
Crow-size
Main Texts:
Appearance:

Large Tringa with upcurved bill. The mainly white and pale grey plumage (and head) gives it a pale appearance. Upper parts speckled in black in summer plumage. Upper side of wings rather dark, back lighter grey with conspicuous long white wedge. Tail white, with diffuse grey barring. Back of juveniles with v-shaped scales/fringes. Legs greenish to grey-green. Wing beats quite deep and sometimes with "slow motion" like quality.

Sound:

Most heard is a characteristic, trisyllabic "tew-tew-tew" (sometimes two or four syllables). Can resemble redshank, but pitch more stable, and not falling notably. Each syllable is clearly separated and equally emphasized. Song a clear disyllabic "cloo-eeee", repeated in cycles but each phrase clearly separated. At close range a short creaky sound is audible (between each phrase). Redshank may sing in a slightly similar way, but in continuous, linked phrases.

Flight call:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Sonnenburg, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Small, stocky, white heron with short bill and neck. Heavy jowl. Plumage all white, except in breeding birds which show varying amount of buff on back, crown and chest. Bill usually yellow, but turns orange-red in breeding birds, and is dark in immatures. Legs pale greyish green, but darker in young birds. May be confused with both Little Egret and Squacco Heron in flight. Differs from Little Egret in leg color and shorter, thicker neck and bill. Told from Squacco Heron by unstreaked body/head, and smaller bill. Generally leaves a less elegant impression than other small herons.

Sound:

Usually silent away from breeding ground. In the colonies a chorus of various coarse sounds can be heard. Most distinct is a disyllabic "rick-rack". Other sounds includes short, guttural utterings, or drawn, harsh shrieks.

Contact calls:

Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file


Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Similar species (sound):
Silhouette Group:
Waders
Silhouette
Heron-like
Silhouette
Several different images of the species
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
Several different sounds of the species
Error loading Flash for sound!
See sound file