Nordmann's greenshank or the spotted greenshank, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders.
Region
East Asian–Australasian Flyway
Typical Environment
Breeds locally along coastal lowlands of the Russian Far East, chiefly around the Sea of Okhotsk and northern Sakhalin, in wet sedge meadows and marshy coastal plains. During migration it stages at major estuaries and tidal flats in northeast China and the Korean Peninsula. In the non-breeding season it occurs on sheltered coasts, mudflats, estuaries, and mangrove-fringed shores in East and Southeast Asia. Key wintering and passage areas include the Yellow Sea region, the coasts of eastern China, and parts of Southeast Asia.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 100 m
Climate Zone
Other
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Nordmann's greenshank, also called the spotted greenshank, is a scarce East Asian shorebird that relies on intertidal mudflats along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. It is threatened primarily by coastal reclamation and degradation of tidal flats, especially at key staging sites. In breeding plumage it shows heavy dark spotting below and has a shorter, stouter, slightly upturned bill than the common greenshank.
Common greenshank and Nordmann's greenshank, Cairns, Australia
Nordmann's greenshank, Cairns, Australia
Temperament
wary and alert, especially on open mudflats
Flight Pattern
strong, direct flight with rapid wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Typically breeds as dispersed pairs on coastal marshy plains, nesting on the ground in low vegetation. Outside the breeding season it forages singly or in small loose groups and may join mixed flocks of other shorebirds at rich feeding sites. Both parents are thought to share incubation and brood care.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are clear, ringing whistles and sharp notes, often given in flight or when alarmed. Display calls in the breeding grounds are more insistent and repeated, while contact calls on the mudflats are shorter and softer.
Plumage
In breeding plumage, heavily spotted and barred blackish on the underparts with mottled dark upperparts; non-breeding birds are greyer above with cleaner white underparts and fine streaking.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small aquatic invertebrates, including worms, crustaceans, and mollusks, and will also take aquatic insects and larvae. It forages by probing and picking in soft mud and shallow water, sometimes sweeping the bill side to side. Prey choice varies with tide and site, selecting exposed invertebrates on receding tides.
Preferred Environment
Most often seen on intertidal mudflats, sandflats, estuaries, and the edges of mangroves. In the breeding season it uses wet sedge meadows and shallow marshy pools near the coast.
