Gray-tailed Tattler
Gray-tailed Tattler
Tringa brevipes
At a Glance
A close relative of our Wandering Tattler, replacing it as a breeding bird in Siberia; the two may winter together sometimes in coastal Australia. The Gray-tailed Tattler is not so tied to rocky shorelines as its American counterpart, being found more often on mudflats. It occurs as a rare but regular migrant in western Alaska.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Sandpiper-like Birds, Sandpipers
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Coasts and Shorelines, Freshwater Wetlands, Tundra and Boreal Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North
Behavior
Direct Flight, Erratic, Rapid Wingbeats, Running
Range & Identification
Description
10" (25.5 cm). Like Wandering Tattler but more lightly and finely marked in breeding plumage, with very narrow dark bars on sides and flanks that do not extend across the white belly. In fall and winter, almost identical to Wandering Tattler, best identified by voice.
Size
About the size of a Robin
Color
Gray, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Long, Pointed, Tapered
Tail Shape
Rounded, Short, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
A mellow, whistled, up-slurred too-weet.
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Gray-tailed Tattler
