Spotted redshank (Trinka erythropus), a rare migratory wader (shorebird) in the large bird family Scolopacidae, was sighted on the wetlands of Pazhayangadi here by birdwatchers.
The migratory bird spotted by birdwatchers Khaleel Chovva, P.C. Rajeevan and Jayan Thomas, is said to be very rarely sighted in Kerala. Dr. Chovva said the bird, spotted and photographed two weeks ago, had been confirmed by the community of birders.
The bird breeds across northern Scandinavia and northern Asia and migrates south to the Mediterranean, the southern British Isles, France, tropical Africa, and tropical Asia during winter.
He said his earlier sighting of the bird was in 2009 at Munderikkadavu wetlands.
Dr. Chovva said that it is a large wader, measuring 29–31 cm long, with a wingspan of 61–67 cm and weighing 121 to 205 gm. It is black in breeding plumage, very pale in winter and has red legs and bill and shows a white oval on the back in flight, he said.
In winter, the bird has a grey back, and paler under parts, with a prominent eye stripe, he added.
The bird feeds on small invertebrates.
