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8

Wood Sandpiper

(Tringa glareola)
Size: 20-22 cm; wing span 55-60 cm
Weight: 40-100 g
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Wood Sandpiper at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Near-lateral view of a Wood Sandpiper in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Sewage Treatment Plant, Darwin, NT, March 2013]

NON-BREEDING

Lateral view of Wood Sandpipers, one in breeding plumage [right] the other in non-breeding plumage [left]
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Sewage Treatment Plant, Darwin, NT, March 2013]

Near-frontal view of a Wood Sandpiper moulting into non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[McMinns Lagoon, near Darwin, NT, September 2018]

Lateral view of a Wood Sandpiper moulting into non-breeding plumage, with Pied Herons for comparison
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[McMinns Lagoon, near Darwin, NT, September 2018]

Lateral view of a Wood Sandpiper in non-breeding plumage foraging under water (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Wood Sandpiper in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Beeliar North Lake, Cockburn, WA, April 2019]

Lateral view of a Wood Sandpiper in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sewage Treatment Plant, Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a Wood Sandpiper in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Beeliar North Lake, Cockburn, WA, April 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Wood Sandpiper in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Georgina River, Camooweal, QLD, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Wood Sandpiper in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Sewage Treatment Plant, Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Wood Sandpiper in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Beeliar North Lake, Cockburn, WA, April 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Wood Sandpiper moulting into non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[McMinns Lagoon, near Darwin, NT, September 2018]

Dorsal view of a Wood Sandpiper in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Georgina River, Camooweal, QLD, September 2019]

Direct comparison between a Wood Sandpiper, right, with a Marsh Sandpiper, centre, and a Red-kneed Dotterel on the left (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Knuckey Lagoon, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of an immature(?) Wood Sandpiper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, December 2019]

Near-frontal view of an immature(?) Wood Sandpiper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, December 2019]

Near-frontal view of an immature(?) Wood Sandpiper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, December 2019]

Near-frontal view of an immature(?) Wood Sandpiper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, December 2019]

Lateral view of an immature(?) Wood Sandpiper - note the brownish flight feathers, which may be much worn juvenile feathers (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, December 2019]

Near-dorsal view of an immature(?) Wood Sandpiper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, December 2019]

Dorsal view of an immature(?) Wood Sandpiper (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, December 2019]

Direct comparison between an immature(?) Wood Sandpiper, front left, and a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, December 2019]

Direct comparison between an immature(?) Wood Sandpiper, front left, and a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, December 2019]

Behaviour

Does oppressive tropical heat make birds aggressive? On the same day, at the same place, both Wood Sandpipers and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers were observed fighting by B. Hensen.

Wood Sandpipers in non-breeding plumage fighting: "What 'My feeding ground'?!" (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[McMinns Lagoon, near Darwin, NT, November 2018]

Wood Sandpipers in non-breeding plumage fighting: "Take that!" (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[McMinns Lagoon, near Darwin, NT, November 2018]

Wood Sandpipers in non-breeding plumage fighting: "And that!" (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[McMinns Lagoon, near Darwin, NT, November 2018]

Food, Diet

Wood Sandpiper picking up a frog for breakfast (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, December 2019]

Wood Sandpiper lining up a frog (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Lake Samsonvale, QLD, December 2019]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

wospipe_dw_20200726.m4a (Poland) Contact call © DW
wospipe_dw_20190720.m4a (Poland) Contact calls © DW
wospipe_dw_20190720_2.m4a (Poland) ? © DW

More Wood Sandpiper sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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.

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If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.