Common Redshank
Tringa totanus · Fluierar cu picioare roșii
A noisy, restless wader of wet meadows and muddy shores, given away by its bright orange-red legs and ringing calls.
At a glance
- Status in Romania
- Resident
- Habitat
- Wetland / Meadow
- Activity
- Morning · Daytime · Evening
- Diet
- Invertebrates picked from mud and shallow water.
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)
- Photography difficulty
- Moderate
Photograph this species
- Best months
- All year
- Best time / activity
- Morning · Daytime · Evening
- Photography difficulty
- Moderate
- Where to look
- Muddy lake edges and wet meadows from March to October; a few remain in winter.
Months confirmed by a Romanian source. General guidance, not local sightings.
Photography Guide
Practical starting points based on the species’ behaviour and habitat, not fixed rules.
- Where and how to look
- Muddy lake edges and wet meadows from March to October; a few remain in winter.
- Best time / activity
- Morning · Daytime · Evening
- Behaviour to anticipate
- Alarm calls and bobbing when you approach — a sign to stop and let it settle.
- Photography difficulty
- Moderate
- Starting shutter speed
- 1/2000 sec for flight; 1/1000 sec on the ground.
- Fieldcraft
- Let the bird return to its feeding spot after the first alarm rather than following it.
- Ethics
- Back off when the alarm calls start; repeated flushing keeps waders from feeding.
Identification
Habitat
Distribution
Approximate range in Romania
Diet
Behaviour
Seasonality in Romania
Breeds across the country except the high zones, but patchily. Migratory, with larger numbers on spring and autumn passage: spring migration begins in March, and in autumn larger numbers can be seen until October. A few overwinter.
Presence
Breeding
Migration
Wintering
About this data
Source-verified months inform the seasonal filters. Local timing can vary. Unconfirmed months do not imply absence. Presence verification is separate from monthly status; each month's details identify its verification. Lighter bands mark estimated timing. Empty event rows mean no event is recorded, not confirmed absence.