Green Sandpiper

Habitat: The Green Sandpiper inhabits high moors, swamp forests, mud pools surrounded by woods and wooded river banks. Rarely found along coastlines.

Appearance: Breeds in the north, winters in southern and western Europe. Widespread, but not numerous, migrant. In Belgium and the Netherlands, it is a year-round visitor, a migrant in fairly small numbers, and a winter visitor in small numbers.

Breeding season: May – July, tree nest – breeds in an old bird’s nest either low or high in a tree, in the latter case the young have to jump down, 4 eggs.

Characteristics: Length 20 – 24 cm, wingspan 39 – 44 cm, weight 60 – 90 grams, age 11 years.

Food: Green sandpipers peck in the mud, grab insects and turn over stones lying in the water. They hunt by running along the shore, wading in shallow water, standing on their heads in deeper water and even swimming and diving.