Greater Yellowlegs

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Types of Shorebirds Black Oyster Catcher Black Turnstone Dunlin Killdeer Long-billed Curlew Long-billed Dowitcher Least Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs Marbled Godwit Pectoral Sandpiper Red-necked Phalarope Sanderling Semipalmated Plover Spotted Sandpiper Surfbird Western Sandpiper Willet Wilson's Phalarope

The Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) gets is name from, what else, its yellow legs.

They are medium sized shorebirds, a bit over a foot tall, with a medium sized slender bill.

In the wild, it is difficult to distinguish them by sight from the Lesser Yellowlegs.

Often their behavior helps differentiate them from the Lesser Yellowlegs. They can be considered the entertainers of the shorebirds, often making a loud racket when disturbed. If you hear a loud "qew, qew, qew" or "dew, dew, dew" sound, the bird is probably a Greater Yellowlegs.

While Greater Yellowlegs can be found througout the United States, they are often not found in large flocks. Their diet consists of the insects, snails and other aquatic organisms found along the shoreline.

© 2004 Patricia A. Michaels.