GREATER YELLOWLEGS GALLERY
(Tringa melanoleuca)
eBird provides this description of the Greater Yellowlegs: Medium-large shorebird with bright yellow legs. Plumage is essentially identical to Lesser Yellowlegs; gray upperparts with white speckling, and white belly. Proportions are more important for separating two species; bill longer than the head and slightly upturned. Larger overall size than Lesser Yellowlegs with longer neck, blockier head, and bigger chest. Forages actively on mudflats and shallow water areas, taking long strides and reaching down to snatch invertebrates. See also: Lesser Yellowlegs.
I saw, and photographed, the Greater Yellowlegs at Bolivar Flats on the early evening of May 21, 2020. I enjoyed seeing this appropriately named bird!
“Cool Facts” About the Greater Yellowlegs From All About Birds…
- Colloquial names for this species include telltale, tattler, and yelper, all of which refer to its strident alarm calls.
- Despite its familiarity and widespread range, its tendency to nest in buggy bogs in the North American boreal forests make it one of the least-studied shorebirds on the continent.
- Though typically associated with wetlands, Greater Yellowlegs on their breeding grounds often perch atop trees to watch for nest predators.