Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Tringa
Species: T. incana
Binomial name: Tringa incana
Synonyms: Heteractitis incanus, Heteroscelus incanus
Common name: Wandering tattler, Alaskin tattler, American tattler, American ashen tringine sandpiper.
Tringa incana is a medium-sized long-distance migrating wading bird. They breed in eastern Siberia and Alaska and some migrate to New Zealand where they inhabit rocky shores and sometimes they visit mudflats and shingle beaches. They are usually seen as single bird probing around rocks, often close to breaking surf.
These birds have stocky bodies with grey upperparts, underwings, face and neck and the belly is white. They have short legs and a straight, dark grey bill. Their body length is 28cm (bill tip to tail).
They feed on aquatic invertebrates such as polychaete worms, molluscs and crustaceans, especially crabs. While wading, they forage actively, making jerky bobbing movements.
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