With a name that sounds like something out of the original Batman TV series, the Wandering Tattler might be something of a disappointment for those that happen upon this unspectacular looking shorebird. But, alas, this bird has intrigued researchers for decades. Wintering along the west coasts of Northern America, Central America, and South America — as well as tropical islands in the Pacific — it arrives in spring to a fairly small breeding area within Canada and Alaska. Because it tends to winter individually or in small groups, its small size, and the fact that its coloring offers perfect camouflage, the Wandering Tattler is extremely hard to find outside of breeding. In California, the bird will occupy our beaches, but as the birds are moving northward we’ll see them both there and in our Central Valley. Keep an eye out for them — they’re on the move now.
By Garrison Frost
HOTSPOT: Flyover of California's Birds and Biodiversity
California is a global biodiversity hotspots, with one of the greatest concentrations of living species on Earth.
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