Main Foods Taken

Breeding Range. Diet consists of small fish and various invertebrates.

Nonbreeding Range. Feeds primarily on crabs, as well as a wide variety of prey items including vertebrates, mollusks, and crustaceans.

Microhabitat for Foraging

Breeding Range. Forages on coastal meadows, lowlands, and intertidal flats. During low tide they feed on exposed algal patches, and sand or mud flats (18 Nechaev, V. A. (1978). The biology and behavior of Normann’s Greenshanks Tringa guttifer on Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal:6073-6086 (in Russian) Close ). During high tide they forage within the coastal meadows and lowlands, feeding along the edges of shallow lakes, ponds, and streams usually at a depth of 5–15 cm (18 Nechaev, V. A. (1978). The biology and behavior of Normann’s Greenshanks Tringa guttifer on Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal:6073-6086 (in Russian) Close , 43 Nechaev, V.A. (1989). The status of Nordmann’s Greenshank (Tringa guttifer) in the USSR. Asian Wetland News 2(2): 11, 14. Close , 41 Blokhin, A. Y. (1998). Breeding wader populations on the marine coasts of north-eastern Sakhalin. International Wader Studies 10:221–224 Close , 116 Blokhin, A. Y., and A. I. Kokorin (2000). New information on Nordmann’s Greenshanks (Tringa guttifer) on North-east Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal 864:871-873 (in Russian) Close ). During all tides, the species can be found foraging at river mouths and deltas (18 Nechaev, V. A. (1978). The biology and behavior of Normann’s Greenshanks Tringa guttifer on Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal:6073-6086 (in Russian) Close , 75 Gluschenko, Y. N., V. A. Nechaev, and Y. A. Red’kin (2016). Nordmann’s Greenshank. In Birds of Primorsky Krai: Brief review of the fauna (E. A. Koblik, Editor), KMK Scientific Press Ltd., Moscow, Russia. p. 159 (in Russian) Close ).

Nonbreeding Range. Forages along flats of a pure mud or mixed sand-mud substrate, algal shores, sandy beaches and bars, rocky outcrops, shallow tide pools or pools of standing water, aquaculture ponds, and within shallow sea grasses (Halophila spp., Thalassia spp., Enhalus spp., and Cymodocea spp.). In tidal areas they often follow the incoming or outgoing tide and forage on freshly exposed areas along the water’s edge, avoiding deep water or flats that have been exposed for a long time (18 Nechaev, V. A. (1978). The biology and behavior of Normann’s Greenshanks Tringa guttifer on Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal:6073-6086 (in Russian) Close , 8 Howes, J. R., and F. Lambert (1987). Some notes on the status, field identification and foraging characteristics of Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer. Wader Study Group Bulletin 49: 14–17. Close , 22 Wells, D. R. (1999). The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Volume 1. Non-passerines. Academic Press, London, UK. Close , 70 Collar, N. J., A. V. Andreev, S. Chan, M. J. Crosby, S. Subramanya, and J. A. Tobias, Editors (2001). Threatened Birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Close , 19 Chandler, R. (2009). Shorebirds of the Northern Hemisphere. Christopher Helm, London. Close , 131 Tan Gim Cheong (2009). Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer reappears in Singapore after a 27-year break. BirdingASIA 11: 75–79. Close , 90 Zöckler, C., T. Z. Naing, S. Moses, Y. N. Soe, and T. H. Hla (2014). The importance of the Myanmar coast for water birds. Stilt 66:37–51 Close , 73 Zöckler, C., D. Li, S. U. Chowdhury, M. Iqbal, and Y. Chenxing (2018). Winter distribution, habitat and feeding behaviour of Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer. Wader Study 125:1–8 Close ). The species is seldom found in water deeper than its belly.

Food Capture and Consumption

Breeding Range. On the breeding grounds, the species most often employ the swift lunging technique described above, although typical probing is also common (18 Nechaev, V. A. (1978). The biology and behavior of Normann’s Greenshanks Tringa guttifer on Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal:6073-6086 (in Russian) Close ). They also chase down prey exposed by outgoing water, similar to the foraging behavior of a Sanderling (Calidris alba) (18 Nechaev, V. A. (1978). The biology and behavior of Normann’s Greenshanks Tringa guttifer on Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal:6073-6086 (in Russian) Close ). If fish are hidden in the thick vegetation of a coastal meadow, they manipulate the vegetation until the fish is exposed or until it leaves cover. If their foraging areas are partially frozen, the species picks off sticklebacks underneath the ice (66 Kondrataev, A. Y. (1988). Meeting the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus and Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer on the coast of the Okhotsk Sea. Russian Ornithological Journal 27:3116 (in Russian) Close ). To swallow a stickleback, the species carries it to a dry section of the coastal meadow or mudflat, vigorously shake and briefly re-submerge it (presumably to wash off the grit and mud), then places the fish on a dry substrate to reposition it so the head is swallowed first and the spines do not interfere (18 Nechaev, V. A. (1978). The biology and behavior of Normann’s Greenshanks Tringa guttifer on Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal:6073-6086 (in Russian) Close ; VVP). Processing and swallowing a fish can be a lengthy ordeal; the species frequently drops and recaptures, and partially swallows and regurgitates the fish multiple times before finally succeeding to consume it (18 Nechaev, V. A. (1978). The biology and behavior of Normann’s Greenshanks Tringa guttifer on Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal:6073-6086 (in Russian) Close , VVP).

Other foraging behaviors include the species hovering 5–10 m (but also as high as 20 m and as low as one m) above the surface of a mudflat and diving to catch prey items, similar to a tern (Sterna spp.) or kingfisher (Alcedines spp.) (132 Swennen, C., and J. Y. Park (1991). Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer feeding on an intertidal flat in Korea. Journal of the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology 23: 13–19. Close , 133 Zöckler, C., and P. Frew (2011). Unusual feeding behaviour of Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer. Wader Study Group Bulletin 118:68 Close , 73 Zöckler, C., D. Li, S. U. Chowdhury, M. Iqbal, and Y. Chenxing (2018). Winter distribution, habitat and feeding behaviour of Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer. Wader Study 125:1–8 Close ). They may stand motionless in an alert stance for 3–4 minutes near a crab burrow to ambush crabs with an “explosive movement” once it appears (134 Byrkjedal, I., and T. Lislevand (2011). “Cat-besides-mousehole-technique” employed by Nordmann’s Greenshank hunting for crabs. Wader Study Group Bulletin 118:190–191 Close ). Greenshanks occasionally employ kleptoparasitism to steal food from godwits (Limosa spp.), plovers (Pluvialis spp.), other Tringa species, and even terns (10 Kennerley, P. R., and D. N. Bakewell (1987). Nordmann’s Greenshank in Hong Kong: a review of the identification and status. Hong Kong Bird Report 1986: 83–100. Close , 101 Boyle, A., and M. Slaymaker (2010). Nordmann’s Greenshank (Tringa guttifer) using kleptoparasitism as a feeding technique. Stilt 58:34–35 Close , 109 Pronkevich, V. V. (2017). Investigation of the world population of the endangered species- Nordmann’s Greenshank (Tringa guttifer, Nordmann, 1835) and the search for ways to preserve it. Russian Academy of Science, Far Eastern Branch Close ). They can also be active foragers at night (116 Blokhin, A. Y., and A. I. Kokorin (2000). New information on Nordmann’s Greenshanks (Tringa guttifer) on North-east Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal 864:871-873 (in Russian) Close ).

Nonbreeding Range. On the nonbreeding grounds, the species employs a variety of foraging behaviors and techniques. It is often a solitary forager (but sometimes in small dispersed groups), locating prey while walking or running in irregular patterns, collecting prey items with a series of pecks (bill partially inserted), jabs (bill inserted half way), and probes (bill fully inserted) and often moving its head rhythmically from side to side (135 Bijlsma, R. G., and F. E. de Roder (1985). A ground survey of waders along the coast of Thailand, November and December 1984. Wader Study Group Bulletin 43:21-22 Close , 8 Howes, J. R., and F. Lambert (1987). Some notes on the status, field identification and foraging characteristics of Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer. Wader Study Group Bulletin 49: 14–17. Close , 70 Collar, N. J., A. V. Andreev, S. Chan, M. J. Crosby, S. Subramanya, and J. A. Tobias, Editors (2001). Threatened Birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Close , 131 Tan Gim Cheong (2009). Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer reappears in Singapore after a 27-year break. BirdingASIA 11: 75–79. Close ). When consuming a crab, the species either swallows the crab whole or re-submerge and shake it vigorously until the legs fall off, subsequently swallowing the body and legs separately (135 Bijlsma, R. G., and F. E. de Roder (1985). A ground survey of waders along the coast of Thailand, November and December 1984. Wader Study Group Bulletin 43:21-22 Close , 8 Howes, J. R., and F. Lambert (1987). Some notes on the status, field identification and foraging characteristics of Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer. Wader Study Group Bulletin 49: 14–17. Close , 3 Kennerley, P. R., and D. N. Bakewell (1991). Identification and status of Nordmann’s Greenshank. Dutch Birding 13(1): 1–8. Close , 132 Swennen, C., and J. Y. Park (1991). Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer feeding on an intertidal flat in Korea. Journal of the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology 23: 13–19. Close , 131 Tan Gim Cheong (2009). Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer reappears in Singapore after a 27-year break. BirdingASIA 11: 75–79. Close , 134 Byrkjedal, I., and T. Lislevand (2011). “Cat-besides-mousehole-technique” employed by Nordmann’s Greenshank hunting for crabs. Wader Study Group Bulletin 118:190–191 Close ). They also lunge at prey items that were located visually (10 Kennerley, P. R., and D. N. Bakewell (1987). Nordmann’s Greenshank in Hong Kong: a review of the identification and status. Hong Kong Bird Report 1986: 83–100. Close , 3 Kennerley, P. R., and D. N. Bakewell (1991). Identification and status of Nordmann’s Greenshank. Dutch Birding 13(1): 1–8. Close , 132 Swennen, C., and J. Y. Park (1991). Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer feeding on an intertidal flat in Korea. Journal of the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology 23: 13–19. Close , 136 Pronkevich, V. V. (2016). Schast’ya Gulf. In Marine important bird areas of the Russian Far East (Y. B. Artukhin, Editor), BirdsRussia. pp. 95–96 Close ). This lunging technique is considered a diagnostic characteristic when comparing to a Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), although may cause confusion when observing a distant Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) which employs a similar foraging technique (137 Bijlsma, R.G. and de Roder, F.E. (1991). Foraging behaviour of Terek Sandpipers Xenus cinereus in Thailand. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 61: 22–26. Close , 12 Brazil, M. (2009). Birds of East Asia: China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Russia. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close , 73 Zöckler, C., D. Li, S. U. Chowdhury, M. Iqbal, and Y. Chenxing (2018). Winter distribution, habitat and feeding behaviour of Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer. Wader Study 125:1–8 Close ). The overall foraging behavior of the Nordmann’s Greenshank is considered diagnostic when comparing to a Common Greenshank, as the former is often more calm and patient than the latter (116 Blokhin, A. Y., and A. I. Kokorin (2000). New information on Nordmann’s Greenshanks (Tringa guttifer) on North-east Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal 864:871-873 (in Russian) Close ).

Major Food Items

Breeding Range. On the breeding grounds, their diet consists of small fish and various invertebrates. Small fish include Amur (Pungitius sinensis) and ninespine sticklebacks (P. pungitius) with a mean mass of 1.29 g ± 0.24, and a mean length of 59.22 mm ± 5.12 (VVP, KM). The invertebrate array includes polychaete and oligochaete worms, small crustaceans and mollusks, as well as aquatic and terrestrial insects (32 Yakhontov, V. D. (1962). Nordmann’s Greenshank on shores of the Okhotsk Sea. Russian Ornithological Journal 5:284-285 (in Russian) Close , 18 Nechaev, V. A. (1978). The biology and behavior of Normann’s Greenshanks Tringa guttifer on Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal:6073-6086 (in Russian) Close , 108 Knystautas, A. (1993). Birds of Russia. HarperCollins, London, United Kingdom. Close , 116 Blokhin, A. Y., and A. I. Kokorin (2000). New information on Nordmann’s Greenshanks (Tringa guttifer) on North-east Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal 864:871-873 (in Russian) Close , 70 Collar, N. J., A. V. Andreev, S. Chan, M. J. Crosby, S. Subramanya, and J. A. Tobias, Editors (2001). Threatened Birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Close ). Undigested Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) roe 2–3 mm in diameter has also been found in the species’ feces (60 Pronkevich, V. V. (2019). New observations of rare birds in Khabarovsk Krai. Herald of the North-east Research Center 2:89-98 (in Russian) Close ). Chicks forage on small fish, terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, polychaete worms, and various amphipods (43 Nechaev, V.A. (1989). The status of Nordmann’s Greenshank (Tringa guttifer) in the USSR. Asian Wetland News 2(2): 11, 14. Close ).

Nonbreeding Range. On the nonbreeding grounds, the species feeds on a wide variety of prey items including small fish and mollusks, various crustaceans and larvae, shrimp or prawn, and larger prey items such as mud skippers (Periophthalmus spp.) and, most notably, crabs (6 Smythies, B. E. (1986). The Birds of Burma. Third revised edition. Nimrod Press, Liss, UK. Close , 70 Collar, N. J., A. V. Andreev, S. Chan, M. J. Crosby, S. Subramanya, and J. A. Tobias, Editors (2001). Threatened Birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Close , 134 Byrkjedal, I., and T. Lislevand (2011). “Cat-besides-mousehole-technique” employed by Nordmann’s Greenshank hunting for crabs. Wader Study Group Bulletin 118:190–191 Close , 73 Zöckler, C., D. Li, S. U. Chowdhury, M. Iqbal, and Y. Chenxing (2018). Winter distribution, habitat and feeding behaviour of Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer. Wader Study 125:1–8 Close , 112 Yu, C., D. Ngoprasert, T. Savini, P. D. Round, and G. A. Gale (2020). Distribution modelling of the endangered Spotted Greenshank (Tringa guttifer) in a key area within its winter range. Global Ecology and Conservation 22:10 Close ). Species of consumed crabs include swimming crabs (Portunidae sanduirolentus, P. pelagicus, and Scylla olivacea) and intertidal mud crabs (Macrophthalmus japonicus) with carapace widths ranging between 5–50 mm, and carapace lengths between 5-60 mm (135 Bijlsma, R. G., and F. E. de Roder (1985). A ground survey of waders along the coast of Thailand, November and December 1984. Wader Study Group Bulletin 43:21-22 Close , 8 Howes, J. R., and F. Lambert (1987). Some notes on the status, field identification and foraging characteristics of Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer. Wader Study Group Bulletin 49: 14–17. Close , 22 Wells, D. R. (1999). The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Volume 1. Non-passerines. Academic Press, London, UK. Close , 70 Collar, N. J., A. V. Andreev, S. Chan, M. J. Crosby, S. Subramanya, and J. A. Tobias, Editors (2001). Threatened Birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Close , 131 Tan Gim Cheong (2009). Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer reappears in Singapore after a 27-year break. BirdingASIA 11: 75–79. Close ). The species may also consume gastropods, bivalves, amphipods, decapods, brachiopods, and Acanthogobius fish (i.e., gobies) (132 Swennen, C., and J. Y. Park (1991). Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer feeding on an intertidal flat in Korea. Journal of the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology 23: 13–19. Close , 24 Yang, Z., B. J. Lagassé, H. Xiao, M. V. Jackson, C.-Y. Chiang, D. S. Melville, K. S. K. Leung, J. Li, L. Zhang, H.-B. Peng, X. Gan, W.-L. Liu, Z. Ma, and C.-Y. Choi (2020). The southern Jiangsu coast is a critical moulting site for Spoon-billed Sandpiper Calidris pygmaea and Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer. Bird Conservation International 30(4):649-660 Close ).

Considered a crab specialist on the overwintering grounds and a fish specialist on the breeding grounds. Not known to store food.

The time needed to acquire and consume food likely depends on prey abundance and the skill, dexterity, or experience of a bird. One individual foraging in northeastern Sakhalin Island, captured and consumed 5 fish in 3 minutes (1.7 fish/min), making 3–4 attempts to process and swallow each fish; while another bird processed a fish in only 2–3 attempts and doubled its intake (116 Blokhin, A. Y., and A. I. Kokorin (2000). New information on Nordmann’s Greenshanks (Tringa guttifer) on North-east Sakhalin Island. Russian Ornithological Journal 864:871-873 (in Russian) Close ). During 27 minutes of active feeding in Singapore, a bird caught 15 prey items (1.8 prey/min): 10 crabs, a prawn, and 4 unidentified items at intervals ranging from every 7 seconds to 5 minutes (131 Tan Gim Cheong (2009). Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer reappears in Singapore after a 27-year break. BirdingASIA 11: 75–79. Close ). In South Korea, one individual took 1.2 crabs every 5 minutes (132 Swennen, C., and J. Y. Park (1991). Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer feeding on an intertidal flat in Korea. Journal of the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology 23: 13–19. Close ).

The only study that calculated the energetics of foraging concluded that the species consumes 0.13 g of ash-free dry weight per minute of foraging activity (132 Swennen, C., and J. Y. Park (1991). Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer feeding on an intertidal flat in Korea. Journal of the Yamashina Institute of Ornithology 23: 13–19. Close ).

No information regarding metabolism.

May dissipate the intense tropical heat of their wintering grounds by keeping their feet and legs submerged in water (92 Yu, C., D. Ngoprasert, P. D. Round, A. J. Pierce, T. Savini, and G. A. Gale (2019). Roost selection of the endangered Spotted Greenshank (Tringa guttifer) in critical habitat in the Inner Gulf of Thailand. Avian Research 10:10 Close ).

No information.