Wood Sandpiper Vs Green Sandpiper: Key Differences Explained
It can often be a quiet time for birdwatchers during the late summer period. A time always filled with anticipation for the increase in bird activity that always occurs in the autumn.
Especially among those birdwatchers that favour inland wetlands. In spring time there are plenty of breeding birds in the wetlands which start to dwindle towards the end of the summer season.
It’s at this point when the first green sandpipers make their appearance. At around the same time, the wood sandpiper shows up as well. If you’re having a difficult time differentiating between these two birds, keep reading.
In this article we take a close look at the wood sandpiper and the green sandpiper and highlight their main differences.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
There are several key differences between wood and green sandpipers which include;
- Wood sandpipers have dark brown upperparts with white spots and dark spotting on their bellies
- Green sandpipers have dark olive brown upperparts and significantly paler underparts
- Green sandpipers are stouter with larger bodies than wood sandpipers
- Green sandpipers have dark green legs whereas wood sandpipers legs are yellow
- When flying, green sandpipers show a dark or black underwing whereas wood sandpipers have pale or white underwings
What Is The Difference Between A Wood Sandpiper And A Green Sandpiper?
Seeing wood sandpipers and green sandpipers from a distance can make identifying each species difficult. However there are enough differences to make telling these two birds apart possible if you know what to look out for.
Let’s start by looking at the visual differences between both birds before moving onto their typical habitats as well as other interesting facts about these medium sized wading birds.
Visual Differences
There’s no doubt about it, wood sandpipers and green sandpipers do look very similar, especially from a distance. On closer inspection however, there are a number of differences. Which include;
Wood sandpipers have rich, dark brown upper parts with white spots on the back which are obvious even from a great distance. They have dark spotting on the chest which gradually breaks up to merge with their white belly.
The underside of the wing is pale in colour with no strikingly distinctive features.
Green Sandpipers are stouter and more compact than wood sandpipers and have dark olive-brown upperparts contrasted by pale underparts and a distinctive white rump. They also have shorter legs but their body size is typically always larger than that of the wood sandpiper.
From a distance the green sandpiper looks like its colourings are black and white. With a dark head, back, neck and breast band which leads into a clean white belly.
The underside of the wing is a striking black colour which makes it look like a large house martin when in flight.
The green sandpiper doesn’t have an eye stripe or supercilium. Whereas the wood sandpiper has a white supercilium. However both species share the white markings in front of the eye.
Wood sandpipers have yellow legs whereas green sandpipers have dark green legs (from which they get their name).
Differences In Habitat
Both wood sandpipers and green sandpipers can be found across the whole of the UK in late summer and autumn. They both prefer fresh water habitats and both can be found in small bodies of water.
There are a few wood sandpipers that stay to breed in northern Scotland and a few green sandpipers that stay in the UK through the winter.
Nests & Eggs
Wood sandpipers typically make scrape nests which are lined with dry grasses and leaves. In some cases they make use of old abandoned nests in trees left by birds like the fieldfare for example.
Green sandpipers primarily nest in trees in old abandoned nests of birds like the fieldfare. This can make identifying the species difficult just when looking at nesting sites.
Wood sandpipers lay pale green eggs which measure around 38 x 26 mm. Green sandpipers lay cream, grey or pale olive eggs which are covered in reddish, brown blotches or specks and are a similar size as those of the wood sandpiper..
Bird Calls
The bird calls of these two members of the sandpiper family are completely different. Green sandpipers make a sharp penetrating call. Which sounds like a high-pitched “kee, kleeoo, eet” which is repeated with a rising and falling pitch.
Wood sandpipers have a much softer call which sounds like a “whiff, whiff” sound. Their display call sounds similar to that of the redshank and sounds like a fast and melodious “dee, loo” which is repeated cyclically.
Size & Weight
These two birds are a similar size and weight, both being around 19 to 21 cm long and weighing around 50 to 90 grams. However, the size of their wings are significantly different.
The wingspan of the wood sandpiper is around 36 to 40 cm whereas the wingspan of the green sandpiper is around 55 to 59 cm. Plus the colour of the underwing is another easy way to differentiate between the two.
Wood sandpipers have a pale or white underwing whereas green sandpipers have a dark or black underwing.
SEE ALSO: Siskin Vs Greenfinch: Key Differences Explained
Frequently Asked Questions
The differences between green and wood sandpipers include; Green sandpipers tend to have a larger more stockier body and darker upperparts with clearly visible lighter speckles. Plus the legs of the green sandpiper are green whereas wood sandpipers legs are yellow.
You can identify a wood sandpiper by its yellow legs, straight bill and the white stripe running all the way from the bill, over the eye and onto the back of the neck.
You can identify a green sandpiper by its green legs, brownish green upperparts and bright white belly.
