Grey-tailed Tattler Identification Challenge

Wader Wednesday ID CHALLENGE 7 October P Plate by Janine Duffy

Who is this charming shorebird, the different one, seen in full in the middle of the flock? Seen and photographed at Toorbul Roost, Moreton Bay Queensland by Marie Tarrant

Solution:

Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes

A striking mid-size wader seen in big numbers in Australia’s north, and much more rarely in the south. They breed in Siberia and fly all the way to Australia for our lovely tropical tidal mudflats – it so important that we protect those.

Grey-tailed Tattlers running on mudflat Nightcliff, Darwin NT — Grey-tailed Tattler Nightcliff, Darwin NT by Janine Duffy

Grey-tailed Tattler East Point Darwin NT Janine Duffy — Grey-tailed Tattler Darwin Northern Territory by Janine Duffy

I have been fortunate to see them a fair bit in Darwin. They might be my favourite wader. Thankyou Marie for taking and allowing me to share this lovely shot.

I think their striking features are:

kinda short legs, that can look really bright yellow in good light,

Quite dark grey upperparts, that look smooth, not streaky,

A really perfect long straight bill that seems just the right size!

Really strong black line from eye to bill

You know how most waders are grey-brown? Well these guys are a really clean grey

See gorgeous pics here: https://ebird.org/species/gyttat1?

Grey-tailed Tattler East Point, NT Janine Duffy — Grey-tailed Tattler East Point, Darwin NT by Janine Duffy

This beauty is still wearing breeding plumage feathers on the breast, which helps separate the Grey-tailed Tattler from the much rarer Wandering Tattler. (Wandering Tattler would have a lot more heavy barring right under belly, and in non-breeding is darker overall)

Don’t let shorebirds frighten you, even the most OCD of us get them eventually. I can tell you that because I was really really slow to get them! At first they are overwhelming, but just eliminate, eliminate. Use size, shape of bill, colour of legs, likelihood – things that are not too ambiguous.

Then one wonderful day you’ll look at a pic or a bird and think: Tattler. Buy the champagne or the Pana Organic Chocolate and stash it for that day.

Bird nerds, well done. There are 3 species clearly visible in the pic: 1 Grey-tailed Tattler, 2 Great Knots and all the rest are Bar-tailed Godwits. Following are some pics describing each.