Tringa

Tringa is a fascinating genus of birds that includes shanks and tattlers, known for their brightly colored legs. The name "Tringa" dates back to 1599 when Aldrovandus used it to describe the green sandpiper, drawing inspiration from the Ancient Greek word "trungas" mentioned by Aristotle. These birds typically inhabit freshwater environments, and interestingly, some species, such as the green sandpiper, nest in trees using old nests of other birds.

In 2006, the American Ornithologists' Union officially included willets and tattlers in the Tringa genus. Initially, scientists attempted to divide the genus into Tringa and Totanus, but DNA studies indicated that Totanus is not a distinct group; thus, it is no longer recognized as a subgenus.

The Tringa genus comprises several species, including the green sandpiper and the solitary sandpiper. They share close relations with sandpipers from the Actitis and Xenus genera, as well as with phalaropes, turnstones, and calidrids.

The history of the genus Tringa extends back to at least the Miocene epoch, and possibly even earlier. Molecular data have helped scientists understand their evolution, revealing that some physical traits evolved independently in different lineages. The distribution of both living and fossil species suggests that Tringa likely originated in Eurasia.