Identification: The Wood Sandpiper in all plumages is slimmer, leggier and more elegant than most other sandpipers, more like a small Redshank. They also have beautifully spangled upperparts and an obvious pale supercilium. They are a paler brown than the Green Sandpiper and there is no obvious contrast between dark breast and pale belly. In flight Wood Sandpipers show a neat, square white rump but they look brown and white not black and white and their underwings are pale.
Habitat: Breeds in marshes and peatbogs. Occurs on passage beside freshwater lagoons, lakes and marshes.
Distribution: An uncommon passage migrant usually in smaller numbers than Common or Green Sandpipers. Mainly seen on the east and south coasts, with favoured localities such as Cley and Minsmere being the best localities. A few pairs breed in Scotland.
One of the commonest breeding waders of Scandinavia, they occur as passage migrants at many of the wetlands of central and southern Europe 'en route' to their wintering areas in Africa.
Population: The European population is between 300-400,000 pairs, with the majority of these in Finland.