Behaviour This species is fully migratory and moves overland on a broad front² with European populations making well-documented stop-overs in Saharan oases¹. Southward movements to the wintering grounds occur between June and early November, with the species being present in the north and equatorial tropics from late-August to early-April, and in southern Africa from October to March^{1, 2}. The return passage to northern breeding grounds occurs between late-February and mid-May^{1, 2}, where the species breeds between late April and June¹. In mild winters some birds may also remain in the breeding grounds of southern Scandinavia¹. The species generally occurs in low concentrations during passage and at stop-over sites, although it may occur in small scattered groups of up to 30 individuals¹ in the winter, with aggregations of over 50 being unusual⁴. Habitat Breeding During the breeding season this species inhabits damp areas in swampy, old pine, spruce or alder woodland and montane forest with many fallen and rotten tree stumps, marshy forest floors and heavy carpets of lichens and mosses, generally in the vicinity of rivers, streams, swamps, ponds, lakes³ and bogs⁴. Non-breeding Outside of the breeding season this species shows a preference for a wider variety of inland freshwater habitats such as marshes, lake edges, sewage farms, small dams and ponds, ditches, riverbanks and forest streams, often near villages and cultivation^{1, 2} (although less often in the vicinity of woodland)¹. It is also very rarely found in intertidal areas such as creeks and the channels of saltmarches^{1, 3}. Diet The species is omnivorous, although its diet is predominantly made up of aquatic and terrestrial insects⁴ (e.g. dragonfly larvae, ants, waterbugs, moth larvae, and the adults and larvae of beetles, Diptera and Trichoptera), annelids, small crustaceans, spiders and fish, as well as plant fragments¹. Breeding site This species frequently nests high in trees in the abandoned nests of passerine species such as Common Woodpigeon Columba palumbus, thrushes Turdus spp.^{1, 5}, crows, jays and shrikes³, but may also nest in squirrel dreys^{3, 4}, on natural platforms up to 20 m high¹, and occasionally on tree stumps or mounds of accumulated pine needles, among branches and tree roots, or amongst fallen trees on the ground^{3, 4}. Management information Unfertilised grasslands with low cattle densities (0.5 cows per hectare) were found to attract a higher abundance of this species in Hungary⁷.

KBPBU250-06|UWBM 49781|Tringa ochropus| ------------------------------------------CTATACCTAATCTTTGGTGCATGAGCTGGCATAGTTGGGACCGCCCTC---AGCCTCCTCATTCGTGCAGAACTGGGGCAACCGGGAACTCTACTGGGAGAC---GACCAAATCTATAATGTAATCGTCACCGCCCATGCCTTCGTAATAATTTTCTTCATAGTAATACCAATCATAATCGGCGGCTTCGGAAATTGACTAGTCCCACTTATA---ATCGGCGCCCCCGACATAGCATTCCCTCGCATAAACAACATAAGTTTTTGACTACTACCCCCATCATTCCTTCTTCTACTAGCATCATCCACAGTAGAAGCCGGAGCTGGCACAGGATGAACAGTATACCCACCCCTCGCCGGTAATCTCGCCCATGCCGGTGCTTCAGTAGACCTA---GCCATCTTCTCCCTCCACCTGGCAGGTGTCTCCTCTATCCTCGGCGCTATCAACTTTATCACAACTGCCATCAACATAAAACCCCCAGCCCTTTCCCAATACCAAACCCCCCTATTCGTATGATCAGTACTTATTACTGCTGTCCTTCTTCTACTTTCCCTCCCAGTCCTTGCTGCC---GGAATCACCATACTACTAACAGACCGAAACCTAAACACCACATTCTTCGATCCCGCTGGAGGAGGAGATCCAGTCCTATATCAACACCTCTTCTGATTCTTTGGTCACCCAGAAGTCTATATTCTCATTCTA------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
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This species is susceptible to avian influenza (strain H5N1) so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus⁶.