A tattler was a person who engaged in gossip or who tells tales – it is believed that hunters named Wandering Tattlers for their loud and scolding calls, which warn other birds of approaching danger. The name wandering refers to its widespread occurrence over vast portions of ocean. The wandering tattler (Tringa incana), a medium-sized wading bird, is similar in appearance to the closely related gray-tailed tattler. It has solid grey upperparts and heavily black-and-white barred underparts. It has a finely streaked face, a dark eye line, long black bill, white eye ring and dull yellow legs and feet. Although their feet are not webbed, they are decent swimmers and can swim as chicks. In Greek, the genus name, Heteroscelus, means "different leg." It refers to the small scaling on their feet, which differentiates these tattlers from other sandpipers. It is found on the Pacific Coast of north and south America as well as Alaska and Canada.
