The Wandering Tattler is one of the most poorly studied birds in North America. Its global population is certainly small, though the true size has been subject to debate. The best estimates range from 10,000 to 25,000. The true number of birds breeding in far-eastern Siberia is also undetermined. All authorities note that this species' actual numbers and population trends are mired in uncertainty.
In breeding plumage, the Wandering Tattler is solid gray above, with heavy dark barring on the throat, breast and belly. The barring on the undersides fades to pale gray in winter. Its grayish bill is about 2 inches in length, and the bright yellow legs are distinctive. At about 11 inches in length, it is slightly larger and longer-billed than the Surfbird, the species with which it is most likely to be confused. In flight, its wings are solid gray below, with black wingtips; tattlers have a wingspan of about 26 inches. On the ground, it is often very active, moving quickly and bobbing often. Tattlers are nervous birds. The name is derived from their habit of giving a series of high, clear, alarm whistles at the approach of any perceived danger.
As the name implies, this species is a true wanderer. Its distribution around the Pacific basin is vast. In the breeding season, it is only found within a concentrated region of Alaska and Yukon Territory. At other times of the year, however, it can be found in coastal areas as far flung as eastern Australia to the west, and Peru to the east. It is also found throughout Oceania, and all along the Pacific Coast of the Americas, as far north as California. A Siberian population exists, but little solid data are available regarding its actual size.
This species frequents a variety of habitats throughout the year. On its summer breeding grounds, it is found nesting high in remote northern mountainous areas, often along rocky streams. In winter, it becomes a bird of coastal tidal areas, and can be found on stony beaches, or along jetties and reefs.
In late spring and summer, tattlers wade along the shores of mountain lakes and streams in pursuit of prey. Its main food source at this time is adult and larval flies, but a variety of foods may be taken when available. In winter, its diet is even more varied, and includes small crabs, mollusks, worms, insects, and any number of invertebrates that can be found in rocky, tidal areas.
Tattlers engage in an elaborate courtship display flights on the breeding grounds. The male flies to great heights over his territory, giving a fast, high- pitched whistling call. Once paired, nesting begins and the display flights end. Nests are constructed on the ground, usually close to a rocky mountain stream. While nests can be elaborate constructions of twigs and other found materials, they are often little more than mere scrapes on the ground. The eggs (usually 4) are greenish, marked with dark blotches. Both parents incubate the eggs. Once hatched, both parents tend to the chicks as well. Chicks are able to leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching; they follow the parents, and can find their own food immediately. Within a few weeks, all of the adult birds depart the breeding grounds, leaving fledglings behind to find their own way to the wintering grounds!
Tattlers employ a number of migratory routes; some are truly epic. From the high arctic breeding grounds, the birds begin to move south in late summer. Some go east. Of the eastbound birds, some travel no further than central California, while others end up as far away as Ecuador or Peru. An alternate route takes some tattlers straight across the Pacific Ocean. An estimated 1,000 tattlers winter on the Hawaiian Islands annually. Even more impressive, some birds reach the islands of the South Pacific, New Zealand, or even Australia's Great Barrier Reef by winter. This latter feat entails a flight of up to 8,000 miles over mostly open ocean!
Gill, R. E., B. J. McCaffery, and P. S. Tomkovich. 2002. Wandering Tattler (Heteroscelus incanus). In The Birds of North America, No. 642 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
Kaufman, Kenn. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York.
Richards, Alan. 1988. Shorebirds - A Complete Guide to Their Behavior and Migration. Gallery Books. New York.
