REDSHANK 315 



TOTANUS TOTANUS (Linnaeus) 



REDSHANK 



Contributed by Francis Charles Robert Jourdain 



HABITS 



The redshank is a recent addition to the American list. Two speci- 

 mens have been shot near Angmagsalik, in East Greenland, the first 

 on May 29, 1902, and the second on April 24, 1909, and were recorded 

 by the superintendent, Johan Petersen. Unfortunately, neither bird 

 was sent to Copenhagen, so it remains uncertain whether they belong 

 to the typical race or to the larger form described by Lehn Schi0ler 

 as T. totanus robustus. Doctor Coues suggested (1897) that the red- 

 shank should be included in the hypothetical list of North American 

 birds on the ground of a specimen said to have been taken on Hudson 

 Bay and transmitted to the British Museum, where, however, it is 

 not to be found. 



Courtship. — Fortunately we have very full accounts of the court- 

 ship and love song of this species from the observations of Messrs. 

 E. Selous, W. Farren, and J. S. Huxley. Mr. Farren's (1910) ac- 

 count (incorporating much of Mr. Selous's notes) is as follows: 



In courting, the male redshank approaches the female with his head erect 

 and his body drawn up tall and straight. As he draws near he raises his wings 

 high above his head for an instant as when alighting on the ground after a 

 flight. Then allowing his wings gradually to droop he vibrates them and also 

 his legs, the latter very rapidly, with a motion suggestion of a soldier " marking 

 time." Mr. Selous (1908) has described this action, including the vibrating of 

 the wings and legs, as follows : " The male bird, walking up to the female, 

 raises his wings gracefully above his back. They are considerably elevated, and 

 for a little he holds them aloft merely ; but soon, drooping them to about half 

 their former elevation, he flutters them tremulously and gracefully as though 

 to please her." The female, as though unimpressed, turned from him and con- 

 tinued to feed, which did not greatly disturb her amorous wooer, as he also 

 commenced to peck about as though feeding. But very soon he again walks 

 up to the female " and now raising his wings to the fluttering height only, 

 flutters them tremulously as before. He walks on a few steps and stops. He 

 again approaches, and standing beside her — both being turned the same way — ■ 

 with his head and neck as it were curved over her, again trembles his wings, at 

 the same time making a little rapid motion with his red legs on the ground as 

 though he were walking fast, yet not advancing." This action occurs with fair 

 frequency during the period before egg laying. I have witnessed it several 

 times, having first been attracted by the raised wings of the male, rendered 

 conspicuous by the white secondaries and undersides, without which I should 

 probably not have seen the birds at all. 



The habit of deliberately extending the wings upward on alight- 

 ing, and thus exposing the light undersurface is one of the most 

 characteristic actions of the redshank, and the white gleaming of 



