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Photo: Alpsdake / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

The Grey-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevipes) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 127 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Charadriiformes
  3. Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
  4. Genus Tringa
  5. Species brevipes

Where it lives

(mainly) subarctic tundra of north-central, northeastern Palearctic: montane Krasnoyarsk (west-central Siberia) and Yana River to Anadyr Pen. and Kamchatka (east-central, eastern Siberia)

Quick facts

Weight
127 g
Family
Scolopacidae

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Grey-tailed Tattler hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Grey-tailed Tattler is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Grey-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevipes) is a species of bird in the Scolopacidae family, part of the order Charadriiformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL (mainly) subarctic tundra of nc, ne Palearctic: montane Krasnoyarsk (wc Siberia) and Yana River to Anadyr Pen. and Kamchatka (ec, e Siberia).

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 127 g, with a wing length of about 15.8 cm and a tail of around 6.8 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.7 million km².

Songs & calls

Grey-tailed Tattler — Flight call

Recorded by Manuel Oudard Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Grey-tailed Tattler?

The Grey-tailed Tattler is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 127 g.

Where does the Grey-tailed Tattler live?

The Grey-tailed Tattler is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL (mainly) subarctic tundra of nc, ne Palearctic: montane Krasnoyarsk (wc Siberia) and Yana River to Anadyr Pen. and Kamchatka (ec, e Siberia), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Grey-tailed Tattler belong to?

The Grey-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevipes) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Grey-tailed Tattler eat?

The Grey-tailed Tattler hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Grey-tailed Tattler migrate?

The Grey-tailed Tattler is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Grey-tailed Tattler endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Grey-tailed Tattler make?

1 real field recording of the Grey-tailed Tattler — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Grey-tailed Tattler's range?

The Grey-tailed Tattler has a mapped global range of about 2.7 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

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