Wild Birds

Common Redshank Welfare and Coastal Grassland Decline

The common redshank is the sentinel of the salt marsh, alerting other waders to danger with its loud alarm calls, but it has declined dramatically as the coastal and inland wet grassland habitats it requires for breeding have been drained and intensified.

Key Facts

UK breeding redshank numbers declined by around 40% between 1988 and 2011
They breed in coastal salt marshes, wet grassland, and moorland edge habitats across Britain
The distinctive red bill and legs and loud teu-hu-hu alarm call make redshanks unmistakable
Chicks are mobile within hours of hatching, foraging for invertebrates in short, wet grass
Winter numbers increase to around 135,000 as Icelandic birds join British residents on estuaries

Welfare Considerations

Redshank welfare is undermined by drainage of coastal and inland wet grassland that removes the invertebrate-rich habitat needed for breeding. Salt marsh management changes affecting vegetation height alter nesting conditions. Winter birds on estuaries are sensitive to intertidal habitat loss through reclamation. Chick survival is critically dependent on the availability of short, wet grass with abundant invertebrates within the first weeks after hatching.

What You Can Do

Support agri-environment schemes maintaining wet grassland with appropriate water levels for redshank
Advocate for salt marsh protection and managed realignment to create new intertidal habitat
Contribute redshank breeding and count records to BTO and WeBS surveys
Back RSPB coastal grazing marsh management at key breeding sites
Engage with planning processes to protect remaining coastal wet grassland from development