What do redshanks eat, and how do they feed?

Redshanks eat insects, worms, small molluscs, and crustaceans. They find this food by picking and probing in soft mud and shallow water, which is why they live in wet grasslands, marshes, and on shallow, muddy shores. Their fairly straight bill, reddish at the base, is the tool for this work. The guide's note on waders explains the wider pattern: waders are birds adapted to feeding on invertebrates in mud, sand, shallow water, or wet grassland, and many have long legs and bills suited to probing. The redshank is one of three waders in the guide, alongside the lapwing and the curlew, and each represents a different form within the group. The lapwing takes earthworms, insects, and other small soil invertebrates from meadows and fields, while the curlew probes soft ground for worms and insects with its long, downcurved bill, also taking food from the surface.

Sources

• Redshanks
• A short bird guide
• Lapwings
• Curlews

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