Nordmann's greenshank


Nordmann's greenshank or the spotted greenshank, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders.

Description

The Nordmann's greenshank is a medium-sized sandpiper, at long, with a slightly upturned, bicoloured bill, and relatively short yellow legs. Breeding adults are boldly marked, with whitish spots and spangling on black upperside; heavily streaked head and upper neck; broad, blackish, crescentic spots on lower neck and breast; and darker lores.

Distribution

The Nordmann's greenshank breeds in eastern Russia along the south-western and northern coasts of the Sea of Okhotsk and on Sakhalin Island. Its non-breeding range is not fully understood, but significant numbers have been recorded in South Korea, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on passage, and in Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia in winter. It has also been recorded on passage or in winter in Japan, North Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia. There are unconfirmed records from Nepal and Guam. It probably has a population of 500–1,000 individuals.

Taxonomy

It is fairly aberrant and was formerly placed in the monotypic genus Pseudototanus. It is an endangered species, and was not available for molecular analyses in Pereira & Baker's study of the genus Tringa. It appears closest overall to the semipalmata-flavipes and the stagnatilis-totanus-glareola groups, though it also has some similarities to the greater yellowlegs and common greenshank.