Tringa totanus
The Red-legged Whistler is one of the loudest and most alert wading birds in the Danube Delta. It is often nicknamed the "guardian of the swamp" because it is the first bird to sound the alarm with loud calls when it detects an intruder, thereby alerting all other species around.
The most obvious feature is the long, bright red-orange legs. The bill is straight, medium-length, red at the base and black towards the tip. The plumage is mottled brown-grey on the back and whitish on the belly. In flight, it is easily recognised by the broad white stripe on the trailing edge of the wings and the white rump.
Prefers open wetlands: flood meadows, salt marshes and edges of shallow lakes. In the Danube Delta it is a regular presence throughout summer. A migratory species, it leaves Romania in the cold season to winter in the Mediterranean basin or Africa.
Feeds actively on muddy shores, probing the mud with its bill or picking prey from the surface. Its diet consists of various aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. It has a rapid, irregular flight, almost always accompanied by its characteristic descending whistle call.
Nests on the ground in low, dense vegetation. Protection of flood meadows and marshes in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is essential for the breeding success of this species.
Although globally classified as LC, the species is sensitive to loss of breeding habitat due to drainage and intensive grazing. Protecting flood meadows and marshes in the Danube Delta is essential for maintaining this species.