Gabralker

Appearance and behaviour

The gabralker, known in Latvian as gaujarts, is a compact riverbank bird with moss-green underparts and muted violet wings. Three elongated tail feathers end in flattened, spoon-shaped tips. At rest, these are held close together; during display, the bird spreads them into a narrow fan.

It feeds among exposed roots and damp leaf litter, turning over small pieces of bark with its bill. The nest is a shallow cup of reed fibres beneath an overhanging bank. Pairs maintain short stretches of river and give a low, two-part “gab-ralk” call, most often at dawn. Territorial disputes are brief but tend to resume at the same place the following morning.

Occurrence in Latvia

A local resident of the Gauja valley. It favours quiet bends with alder cover and exposed banks, making short movements into sheltered side channels during winter. Its subdued call and habit of remaining under the bank make it easy to overlook.