The Common Greenshank has a long, robust slightly upturned bill which has a greyish base, legs greenish to greyish green.

These birds breed in a large zone of the Palearctic that includes Taiga (boreal forest) and Forest Biomes from Scotland eastwards to Siberia. These then disperse to non-breeding grounds in summer which includes Ireland, Mediterranean, southern Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.

These birds start arriving in late July/August to March/April. Many juveniles which are mainly 1 year old birds stay over during our winter. In the Western Cape the largest number of birds can be found on Langebaan Lagoon and the Berg River Estuary. Good numbers of these birds are often seen along the Breede.

They are found in a variety of habitats in saltpans, estuaries and inland water bodies. They can be found along the muddy, sandy or gravel edges of dams and ponds. Mixed rocky/sandy beaches, but have are found in higher numbers along muddy or sand/muddy substartes in tidal estuaries and lagoons.

These agile feeders, hunt along the water’s edge and will venture up to belly’s depth in the water looking for shrimps, crabs, marine worms, mud prawns and sand prawns as well as small fish such as mullet. They mainly feed at low tide in tidal estuaries and mainly during daylight hours.

The largest species in the genus Tringa (which includes Marsh and Wood sandpipers which have also been recorded along the Breede River Estuary. Oldest bird in southern Africa at least 10 years and 10 months old.