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ODNR Division of Wildlife - Fishing - Trout Stockings
ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs Greater and lesser yellowlegs can be difficult to tell apart, especially when observed from far away. However, the greater yellowlegs uses its upturned bill to skim small animals from the surface of the water as the bird swings it from side to side. The lesser yellowlegs rarely does this.



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Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca

At-a-Glance

• Incubation: 23 days

• Clutch Size: 3-4 eggs

• Young Fledge: 18-20 days after hatching

• Typical Foods: small aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, small fish, frogs and seeds
Description
A common puzzle facing new shorebirders is separating this species from the lesser yellowlegs. Greaters are more massive, with a proportionately bigger, slightly upturned bill, and thicker legs with pronounced "knees."

Habitat and Habits
Greaters prefer marshes, mudflats, and edges of lakes. They often forage in deeper water than other shorebirds. The call of the greater yellowlegs is different from that of the lesser yellowlegs - greaters have a louder, sharper call that is usually at least three notes, tew, tew, tew! Yellowlegs are early warning systems for other shorebirds, alerting the mudflat community to invaders.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
Breeding occurs on tundra or marshy ground in Canada and Alaska. Nests are depressions in damp ground.