Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa
melanoleuca
Description
14" (36 cm). A slender, gray-streaked
wader with conspicuous white rump and long yellow legs. Lesser
Yellowlegs is similar but smaller, with a shorter, straighter, and
more slender bill and a different call.
Voice
A series of musical whistled notes:
whew-whew-whew.
Habitat
Breeds on tundra and marshy ground;
frequents pools, lakeshores, and tidal mudflats on
migration.
Nesting
4 tawny eggs, heavily marked with brown,
in a slight depression on the ground in a damp open spot.
Range
Breeds from south-central Alaska eastward
across central Canada to Maritime Provinces and Newfoundland.
Winters mainly along coasts from Washington State and Virginia
southward, and along Gulf Coast.
Discussion
The larger of the two yellowlegs is a
noisy and conspicuous bird. It is also more wary than its smaller
relative and flushes at a greater distance. It often runs about
wildly in shallow water or wades up to its belly and occasionally
even swims. With its long legs, it easily obtains food in pools. The
bill, slightly upturned, is used to skim small animals from the
surface of the water as the bird swings it from side to side. This
behavior, seldom seen in the Lesser Yellowlegs, makes a Greater
Yellowlegs recognizable at a long distance.
