Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyScolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
- GenusTringa (Shanks, Tattlers, and Allies)
- SpeciesTringa nebularia (Common Greenshank)
The common greenshank (Tringa nebularia) is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. The genus name Tringa is the Neo-Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific nebularia is from Latin nebula "mist". Like the Norwegian Skoddefoll, this refers to the greenshank's damp marshy habitat. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Greenshank sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 130 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Etosha National Park
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola
Marsh Sandpiper
Tringa stagnatilis
Ruff
Calidris pugnax
Little Stint
Calidris minuta
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Crowned Lapwing
Vanellus coronatus
Double-banded Courser
Rhinoptilus africanus
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Spotted Thick-knee
Burhinus capensis
African Jacana
Actophilornis africanus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Greenshank in Etosha National Park?
About 9% of wildlife watchers report a Common Greenshank sighting in Etosha National Park, based on 130 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Greenshank in Etosha National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Common Greenshank in Etosha National Park in our monthly data.