Common Redshank

A quick-stepping wader of the mudflats. Its orange-red legs and alert calls are familiar features of Dublin Bay in winter.

A recording has not been added yet. Use the identification notes below for now.

I know this bird · Record a sighting Where to look & how to find it ↓

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Habitat first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: Possible all year; commonest in autumn and winter
Where to start: Bull Island, public viewpoints around Booterstown Marsh, Malahide Estuary and Dublin Bay mudflats.
What to do when you arrive: Look for medium-sized waders in tidal shallows and check the red legs. A white trailing wing edge helps if a bird flies naturally; never flush it to check.

Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

SPECIES NOTESSpecies notes

How to identify it

Orange-red legs and a straight bill that is reddish at the base and dark at the tip. Grey-brown above and paler below. A broad white trailing edge to the wing helps separate it from similar waders in flight.

Habitat

Estuarine mudflats, saltmarsh, shallow pools and wet grassland.

Behaviour

Probes and picks through mud for worms and small crustaceans. Often calls as it flies up, alerting nearby birds.

When to look

Possible all year; commonest in autumn and winter

Where to look

Bull Island, public viewpoints around Booterstown Marsh, Malahide Estuary and Dublin Bay mudflats.

Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.

Recent encounters

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