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tattler
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wandering tattler
wandering tattler Wandering tattler (Heteroscelus incanus).

tattler

bird
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Also known as: Tringinae
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tattler, any shorebird that is easily alarmed and calls loudly when it senses danger. Broadly, tattlers are birds of the subfamily Tringinae of the family Scolopacidae. Examples are the redshank, greenshank, willet, and yellowlegs. More narrowly, the name is given to the wandering tattler (Heteroscelus incanus) and the Polynesian, or gray-rumped, tattler (H. brevipes). Both closely resemble the yellowlegs but are short-legged and have barred underparts in summer. The wandering tattler nests on gravel bars in Alaskan rivers and winters from Mexico to western Pacific islands. The slightly smaller Polynesian tattler does not nest on the ground but, instead, often uses the abandoned nests of songbirds. It winters in the Philippines, in Malaysia, and in Australia.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.