Grey-tailed Tattler

Uncommon coastal migrant and non-breeding visitor.

Medium-sized, long-bodied shorebird; grey above, with short yellow legs and medium length, straight or slightly decurved bill. In flight, uniform grey above; legs do not project beyond tail. Below, dark grey underwing and whitish belly. Ad B: (Mar – Aug) Crown, lores and eyestripe dark grey; supercilium, throat, ear coverts and sides of neck whitish streaked grey. Breast, flanks and vent white, barred dark grey; belly white and unbarred. Upperparts plain grey. Ad Nb: (Sep – Feb) Similar to Ad B, but lacks underpart bars. Blackish lores, contrasting with whitish forehead and supercilium, which extends behind the eye. Sides of neck, breast and fore-flanks smoke-grey; rest of underparts white. Juv: (Aug-Sep) Similar to Ad Nb, but scapulars, median and greater coverts and tertials have fine white notches; lesser coverts are fringed white.

Proportions and habit of bobbing rear end similar to Common Sandpiper, but even more attenuated rear end, grey rather than olive-brown above and more prominent dark lores. Dark lores are also useful in picking a Grey-tailed Tattler out from among roosting flocks of Common Redshank and Terek Sandpiper, as well as yellow rather than orange or red legs. In flight, plain upperparts, including rump and back, unique among Malaysian shorebirds.

Forages by walking and pecking, sometimes running to catch mobile prey (e.g. crabs); bobs rear end like Common Sandpiper. Often associates with Common Redshank and Terek Sandpiper at high tide roosts, and will roost in trees.

Occurs in small numbers in intertidal areas, showing a preference for sand substrates over mud. More numerous in Bornean Malaysia than in West Malaysia.

Most frequently seen from September to mid-May.