Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

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Greater Yellowlegs (Scolopacidae: Tringa melanoleuca)

The Greater Yellowlegs belongs to a group of birds called shorebirds. Shorebirds are so named because they are commonly found along the shores of lakes, ponds, and ocean beaches. The Greater Yellowlegs summers and breeds on shores of ponds and lakes in the Northern Boreal Forest along with the similar species the Lesser Yellowlegs. The Greater Yellowlegs breeds in the Northern Boreal Forest, but is commonly seen further south as it migrates to its winter home on the coasts of the southeastern United States and much further south into South America.

Identifying Features: Both species have elongate legs adapted for wading in water and a long, thin, pointed bill. The yellow legs are characteristic for these two species.

Similar Species: The Lesser Yellowlegs is very similar to the Greater Yellowlegs, but is smaller. The Greater Yellowlegs is about 14 inches tall, but the Lesser Yellowlegs is about 10 inches. The bill of the Greater Yellowlegs is longer than that of the Lesser Yellowlegs.

Habitat: Both the Greater and the Lesser Yellowlegs are found along the margins of ponds, lakes, and marshes during the breeding season. During the winter and migration both species are commonly found on tidal mudflats along the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

Food: The Greater Yellowlegs feeds on minnows, insects, and other invertebrates they pick up from the shore line.

Behavior: The Greater Yellowlegs' call consists of a series of muscial whistles. This bird is very noisy, but also extremely wary. It is commonly seen running around in shallow water, sometimes wading up to its belly. The species has a habit of bobbing their heads up and down when watching a potential predator.