Latin name - Actitis hypoleucus

The common sandpiper is a smallish wading bird which breeds along fast-moving rivers and near lakes, lochs and reservoirs in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the north of England. In winter it may be seen along the south coast. On its spring and autumn passage, the common sandpiper can be found elsewhere in the UK, near any freshwater areas and on some estuaries. It bobs up and down when standing, known as 'teetering', and has a distinctive, stiff-winged flight. Its presence is often betrayed by its three-note call which it gives as it flies off. Common sandpipers are green-brown above with a bright white belly and they show a brown rump and strong white wingbars when they fly. They have a white eye-ring, a shortish, straight bill and the legs are greenish-grey. They eat insects , worms and molluscs.