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Marsh Sandpiper
(Tringa stagnatilis)
: "Little Greenshank"
Size: 22-26 cm; wing span 55-60 cm
Weight: 43-120 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Marsh Sandpipers are small waders.
Their plumage
is cryptic.
When seen in Australia, they are usually (but not always) in
eclipse
plumage.
During the
non-breeding season they basically have a white front
and a grey back. Except for the sides of the chest, which are
streaked grey, the entire front, from throat to undertail
coverts, including the flanks, is white. The head, except for
white frons, eyebrows and chin, is white with grey striation.
The nape of the neck and the wings are grey, with fine white
edge lining.
In-flight they do not show a wing bar, but a prominent white back.
During the
breeding season, except for white eye-rings, the
head, neck, throat, chest and flanks become streaked grey-brown.
The wings develop brownish colours. The light-brown base contrasts
with dark-brown patches and white edges, most prominently on
the scapulars.
The eyes have dark irises. The dark-grey bill is straight, very
slim and longer than the size of the head. The legs and feet are
olive-grey. The legs are long and in-flight the feet protrude
clearly beyond the tail.
Juveniles
roughly resemble non-breeding
adults,
but they have very crisp, fine white edge-lining on their wing
feathers and browner coverts and tertials.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Compared to other species of small sandpipers and stints, Marsh Sandpipers
have the most slender straight black bill.
The correct identification of waders ("shorebirds"), e.g. of the
Calidris, Tringa, Actitis and
related families or of the Charadrius, Pluvialis and related genera
in the field can be quite tricky. We have therefore made an attempt to
give some advice HERE.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Marsh
Sandpiper at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Marsh Sandpiper is available
HERE
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Marsh Sandpipers are a migratory species.
Their breeding grounds are in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands
from far-eastern Europe to central Asia.
Most Marsh Sandpipers spend the northern winters in Africa, Arabia
or India, while a smaller number migrate to South-east Asia or Australia.
In Australia Marsh Sandpipers are non-breeding migrants from the
North. They are relatively uncommon in Australia and found mostly
along the major inland
rivers, but also occasionally along the coast of the continent and
offshore islands and
Tasmania. They are only very rarely found elsewhere inland and never
in the major deserts of eastern WA, the south-western NT and north-western
SA.
Although found mostly in saltwater habitats, Marsh Sandpipers are
also occasionally found around fresh water.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Marsh Sandpipers are seen in various wetlands around Moree, NSW. They
were first spotted there by C. Hayne in January and December 2009, on a
farm dam 15 km North-West
of Moree, NSW.
Marsh Sandpipers were also seen throughout 2010 and 2011. During the
second half of 2012 and early 2013, especially in the timeframe
September-January, large numbers of Marsh Sandpipers were seen in
various locations around Moree.
We first spotted Marsh Sandpipers in a shallow pool with partially
submerged sandbanks at the Burren Junction Bore Bath,
(which was
closed at the time) in November/December 2013, when at least two
birds were found there. Since then, they are found at the same
location reliably, albeit in small numbers.
B. Hensen reports spotting a Marsh Sandpiper at the Leanyer Sewage
Treatment Plant, Darwin, NT, in March 2013, and at McMinns Lagoon,
near Darwin, and at Knuckey Lagoon, Darwin, NT, in November 2018.
In August 2014 we found two Marsh Sandpipers in mudflats at East Point, Darwin, NT.
H. Mouritsen reports spotting 3 Marsh Sandpipers near Darwin, NT, in
October 2015.
J. Greaves reports spotting a Marsh Sandpiper at Alfred Cove, Swan
River, Perth, WA, in November 2015 and at Austin Bay, near Mandurah,
WA, in March 2017.
M. Eaton found a Marsh Sandpiper at Lake Clarendon, QLD, in November
2018, and another at Atkinson Dam, near Lowood, QLD, in October 2019.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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Lateral view of a Marsh Sandpiper in near-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Sewage Treatment Plant, Darwin, NT, March 2013]
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NON-BREEDING |
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Near-frontal view of a Marsh Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atkinson Dam, near Lowood, QLD, October 2019]
Near-lateral view of a Marsh Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage
[Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, January 2016]
Lateral view of a Marsh Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Atkinson Dam, near Lowood, QLD, October 2019]
Lateral view of a Marsh Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage
[Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, January 2016]
Lateral view of a Marsh Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage
[Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, January 2016]
Near-dorsal view of a Marsh Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage
[Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, January 2016]
Near-dorsal view of a Marsh Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage
[Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, November 2019]
Dorsal view of a Marsh Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage
[Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, November 2019]
Frontal view of a Marsh Sandpiper in non-breeding
plumage,
right, in comparison
with a Common
Greenshank
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[McMinns Lagoon, near Darwin, NT, November 2018]
Direct comparison between a Marsh Sandpiper, centre, with a
Wood Sandpiper, right,
and a Red-kneed Dotterel
on the left (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Knuckey Lagoon, Darwin, NT, November 2018]
Lateral view of a Marsh Sandpiper in flight
[Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, January 2016]
Near-dorsal view of a Marsh Sandpiper in flight; note the white
rump (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Austin Bay, near Mandurah, WA, March 2017]
Dorsal view of a Marsh Sandpiper in flight
[Burren Junction Bore Bath Bore Bath, NSW, December 2015]
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
More Marsh Sandpiper sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
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These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.