Tringa melanoleuca
The Greater Yellowlegs (*Tringa melanoleuca*) is an elegant and charismatic shorebird, instantly recognizable by its striking bright yellow legs and slender build. Averaging 30-36 cm (12-14 in) in length with a wingspan of 60-70 cm (24-28 in) and weighing around 120-200 g (4.2-7 oz), it features dull gray-brown upperparts heavily streaked and spotted with white in breeding plumage, transitioning to a paler, less streaked appearance in winter. Its distinctive field marks include a relatively l...
This species primarily inhabits shallow freshwater and brackish wetlands, including bogs, marshes, mudflats, and tundra ponds, typically found at low elevations.
Their diet consists mainly of small aquatic invertebrates like insect larvae, crustaceans, and marine worms, supplemented by small fish.
Greater Yellowlegs are primarily diurnal, foraging actively during daylight hours and often roosting communally in sheltered wetland areas, standing on one leg or hunkering down. Their foraging strategy involves wading in shallow water, probing the substrate with their long bills, and often sweep...
The Greater Yellowlegs boasts an extensive range spanning the Americas. Its breeding grounds are predominantly found across the boreal forest and muskeg regions of Alaska and Canada, extending from western Alaska eastward through the Canadian provinces to Newfoundland. During the non-breeding sea...
Least Concern
- The Greater Yellowlegs is the largest of the North American 'yellowlegs' species, distinguishing it from its slightly smaller relative, the Lesser Yellowlegs. - Its scientific name, *Tringa melanoleuca*, means 'black and white spotted sandpiper', referring to its streaked breeding plumage. - Th...