Gray-tailed Tattler

1. Broad white eyebrow meeting on the forehead and extending behind the eye

2. Pale to mid-grey upperparts and yellow legs; bill dark with yellowish base

3. Fine grey barring on breast and flanks in breeding plumage, but undertail and belly remain white

Grey-tailed Tattlers breed in northeast Siberia, nesting on the ground near stony riverbeds in alpine tundra. In Australia, they feed mainly on small crabs, crustaceans, insects, and other invertebrates, picking prey by sight or probing in shallow water. The species is not particularly gregarious and is usually seen singly or in loose groups outside of roosts. During breeding, females lay four eggs in a ground nest, and both parents share incubation duties. Most first-year birds remain in Australia through their first northern summer, only migrating north after their second year.

Grey-tailed Tattlers are found along Australia’s coasts and offshore islands, especially in the north and east. They prefer intertidal mudflats, rocky and coral reefs, and mangrove areas, often roosting in mangrove trees or on rocks at high tide. During the non-breeding season (August to April), they are most often seen foraging alone or in small groups, but may gather in larger numbers at communal roosts. Look for them on exposed reefs and mudflats at low tide, and listen for their sharp, two-note whistle.