Stocky brown wader with bright red legs; compare with slenderer, far more gracile Spotted Redshank in juvenile and non-breeding plumage.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilySandpipers and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatInhabits fresh and coastal wetlands; also breeds on moorland, usually near water.
Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from June to September.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by David Darrell-Lambert
Range map
Range map
7approx hotspots
1472approx records
1states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Bobs tail when nervous, and then flies to show flashy white trailing edge to wings, white rump patch. Inhabits fresh and coastal wetlands; also breeds on moorland, usually near water.
Behavior
Often rather wary, alerting other birds with its loud, fluty, whistled calls. Feeds in muddy shallows, probing and picking with its bill.
Gallery
Regional timing
South Australia
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Victoria
Queensland
New South Wales
Commonly confused with
Asian DowitcherLimnodromus semipalmatusVery uncommon large, long-billed shorebird, nearly the size of a godwit, found in coastal mudflats and open marshes. Juvenile dark above, with broad gold feather edges, pale below, washed with warm buff or gold tones and with neat dark stipples and chevron-shaped marks. Blackish legs distinguish Asian from Long-billed Dowitcher, which has yellowish-green legs. Blackish or brownish bill of adult Asian differs from bicolored bill of godwits; note that bill of juvenile Asian has pale base.→Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusUpperparts dark, contrasting with the white underparts and streaky breast. When flushed, flight is low and often short. Bold head pattern, evident in all seasons, is the best feature to look for in winter-plumaged birds. Breeds in taiga bogs, usually at coasts and estuaries on migration and in winter.→Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaIn flight note large white rump patch. Breeding plumage deep rusty on head and body (like Red Knot). Non-breeding birds are grayish-brown above with white eyebrows and belly. Juvenile is grayish above with neat scaly feather edgings, whitish below with variable buffy wash on breast. Breeds in Russian tundra and winters in Africa, Australia, and South and Southeast Asia.→