Skip navigation

Wood sandpiper

Tringa glareola

The wood sandpiper is a rare nesting species in Vaasa. Photo Jan Nyman.

General information. The wood sandpiper is a common wader in Finland, thriving particularly in the vast mires of Northern Finland. The nesting population in Finland has been estimated to 300 000-450 000 pairs. The wood sandpiper is a migratory species, arriving in Finland during May and migrating to Africa during July-September. The wood sandpiper is a protected species according to the European Bird Directive.

  • Length about 20 cm
  • Nests on the ground under vegetation cover
  • Migrates to Africa for winter
  • Feeds on insects, spiders, worms and molluscs

Habitat. The wood sandpiper can be found nesting in glades, wet meadows and treeless swamp areas.

Distribution in Vaasa. The survey of nesting bird species in Vaasa showed that the wood sandpiper is a rare nesting bird, only found in a handful of survey blocks, which is due to the lack of swamp areas. The highest probability of spotting this bird is during spring migration around the Sundominlahti bay. Distribution map is not published due to species protection reasons.