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Greater Yellowlegs
Photos by Bruce
Dayton
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ORDER:
Charadriiformes
FAMILY:
Scolopacidae (Sandpipers - 47 Species)
SPECIES:
Greater Yellowlegs
(Tringa melanoleuca)
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Greater Yellowlegs |
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The Greater Yellowlegs bobs the front half of its body up and down, when it perceives a threat is near. Greater Yellowlegs are often the first species to sound an alarm call when a perceived threat approaches. |
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SIZE |
Medium to large (11-14”) sized wading bird. |
| DESCRIPTION | A tall slender, gray-streaked wader with long yellow
legs. Adults have a long, thin, dark bill which appears to have a slight upward
curve. The body is gray brown on
top and white underneath; the neck and breast are streaked with dark
brown.
Sexes are similar in appearance. |
| NESTING | Clutch size ranges from 2-5 eggs, which are incubated in 25 to 29 days. They nest on the ground, usually in well-hidden locations near water. |
| RANGE | Their breeding habitat is bogs and marshes in the Boreal forest region of Canada and Alaska. During migration movements, they may be spotted in many places in the United States. It winters mainly along coasts from Washington State and Virginia southward. |
| HABITAT | During migration, they habitat freshwater ponds, tidal marshes and wetlands, where they forage along the shallow water edges in search of food. |
| DIET | They mainly eat small fish and aquatic insects, such as crustaceans and marine worms. |
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| Greater Yellowlegs | |
| Montezuma
National Wildlife Refuge Seneca County - New York |
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| GYLg_130T_012732 | GYLg_130T_038922 |
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| GYLg_130T_015549 | GYLg_130T_016675 |
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| Spotted
Sandpiper Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes |
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| INTERESTING FACTS |
| Wetlands |
An area of fresh water or marsh, including flowing water and canals, whose continued existence is constantly threatened by drainage and reclamation for farming and new construction. The wetlands provide a good habitat for wading birds to find food. |
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| The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit. |
NOTE: This site will be updated as time and pictures become available.
Visit Mammals of North America
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
Updated 10-20-2008
