About the Grey-tailed Tattler
The grey-tailed tattler, also known as the Siberian tattler or Polynesian tattler, is a small shorebird in the genus Tringa. The English name for the tattlers refers to their noisy call. The genus name Tringa is the Neo-Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific brevipes is from Latin brevis, "short", and pes, "foot".
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ID tip
The grey-tailed tattler is closely related to its North American counterpart, the wandering tattler (T. incana) and is difficult to distinguish from that species. Both tattlers are unique among the species of Tringa for having unpatterned, greyish wings and back, and a scaly breast pattern extending more or less onto the belly in breeding plumage, in which both also have a rather prominent supercilium. These birds resemble common redshanks in shape and size. The upper parts, underwings, face and neck are grey, and the belly is white.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Grey-tailed Tattler lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in France, United Kingdom, Canada, India, Sweden.
When to see the Grey-tailed Tattler
Peak activity in September · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Wandering TattlerTringa incanaThe wandering tattler was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae.
Nordmann's GreenshankTringa guttiferNordmann's greenshank is a medium-sized sandpiper, at 29–32 cm (11–13 in) long, with a slightly upturned, bicoloured bill, and relatively short yellow legs.
Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilisThe marsh sandpiper resembles a small elegant greenshank, with a long fine bill and very long yellowish legs.
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