About Tringa ochropus Linnaeus, 1758
This species is a somewhat plump wader with a dark greenish-brown back and wings, a greyish head and breast, and white underparts on the rest of its body. The back has white spots that vary in extent: breeding adults have the most extensive spotting, while winter adults and young birds have less. Both its legs and short bill are dark green. In flight, it has a conspicuous, distinct patterning: its wings are dark on both the upper and lower sides, and it has a brilliant white rump. This white rump feature reliably separates it from the slightly smaller, but otherwise very similar North American solitary sandpiper (T. solitaria). When flying, it produces a characteristic three-note whistle. The green sandpiper breeds across subarctic Europe and extends east across the Palearctic. It is a migratory bird, and winters in southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and tropical Africa. It feeds on small invertebrates, which it picks from mud as it moves steadily around the edges of its chosen pond. This is not a gregarious species, though small numbers will sometimes gather in good feeding areas. The green sandpiper is strongly associated with freshwater habitats, and is often found in sites that are too restricted for other waders, which tend to prefer areas that give a clear all-round view.
