History of the Wood Sandpiper as a breeding bird in Britain

ABSTRACT Wood Sandpipers Tringa glareola are rare breeding birds in Britain, where they are restricted to the northern half of Scotland. Birds have been recorded breeding annually in Scotland since 1959; the total number of pairs has ranged between one and 21, while the number of sites occupied each year has varied from one to 12.The total number of occupied sites during this period is between 47 and 50, with nine new sites having been discovered since 1998.This paper draws together all available records of Wood Sandpiper breeding in Britain, including those dating back to the mid 1800s, and presents a summary of its current status as a breeding species.