Parasitism: There is no brood parasitism reported for Greater Yellowlegs, however, parasites are associated with this species. Spring fluke infestations may determine if a bird migrates. Nematodes and helminthes have also been found in association with Greater Yellowlegs.
Mortality: The main causes of adult mortality on breeding grounds include nest predation, freezing or starving during unexpected freezing weather and nest predation. These birds, however, also fall prey to avian botulism and avian cholera.
Molting: Greater Yellowlegs are known to molt before and during migration, which may be the reason that the birds take breaks in their migration. Individuals that do not leave the wintering grounds to migrate north delay or fail to undergo a premigratory molt.
Vocalizations: The Greater Yellowlegs' call has been described as a loud, clear and ringing, with no evidence of regional dialects. The song typically consists of three descending notes, but has many variations within these notes. The birds use the many different variations of this call for different purposes. These include alarm calls, breeding calls, take-off and landing calls, migratory calls and "conversational murmuring." Both sexes make these calls and neither sing.
(Anderson and Bartlett 1996, Elphick and Tibbits 1998, National Geographic Society 1999, Secord and Canaris 1993)
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Greater Yellowlegs were considered an important game bird in the early 20th century, due to its difficulty in being found. This hunting greatly reduced its numbers until the introduction of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918. Since 1927, this bird has been fully protected in the United States and Canada under this act. It is assumed that population numbers have increased since then, though this is not certain. DDE and PCBs have been studied in this species and have not been found to have an effect on the population numbers. Heavy metals have also been studied and selenium has been found to be the only one of concern. The main threat these birds have to their habitat is the loss of wetlands throughout their wintering range. The population numbers of the Greater Yellowlegs is thought to be stable and of little conservation concern, but there is little accurate data on this.
(Elphick and Tibbits 1998)
US Migratory Bird Act: protected
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
None known.
The Greater Yellowlegs is a tentative species, so it is difficult to observe. Many birding tourists will go to both its breeding and wintering grounds in order to view it.
The Greater Yellowlegs primarily eat small aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, small fish, frogs and seeds or berries. Greater Yellowlegs will, at times, eat insects along the shore or snatch them out of the air.
(Elphick and Tibbits 1998)
The Greater Yellowlegs breeds throughout a band in central Canada, from Newfoundland and eastern Nova Scotia to eastern British Columbia. The breeding range also extends into Alaska, along the southern Pacific coast. Though it has not been confirmed, it is believed to extend past these areas, farther into the Northwest Territories and south into Oregon.
This species winters along the ocean coasts of North America, from New York south along to the Gulf of Mexico and from California south to Central America.
Vagrant individuals of this species have been observed in Europe, with sightings recorded in Belgium, Denmark, France, Norway and Spain. Rare observations of the species have been reported from Russia, Japan, Micronesia and once in South Africa.
(Elphick and Tibbits 1998)
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
In its breeding range, the Greater Yellowlegs can be found throughout the boreal zone in wet bogs with small islands and in coniferous forests with many clearings. They are found in wet areas, covered with mosses and lichens. The breeding areas usually have many small lakes and ponds and trees to be used as perches. Subarctic tundra and subalpine scrub, however, may also serve as breeding sites.
In its wintering range, this species may be found in a variety of wetland habitats, both freshwater and saline. When the feeding habitats are tidal, a Greater Yellowlegs will roost on offshore rocks and reefs. Greater Yellowlegs that have settled along the coast are often found on shallow lagoons and tidal flats. Inland in the southern United States and into South America, these birds will use flooded rice fields.
Elphick, Chris S. and T. Lee Tibbits. 1998. Greater Yellowlegs. The Birds of North America 355:1-23.
Terrestrial Biomes: taiga
The Greater Yellowlegs is a medium-sized (approximately 36 cm long) shorebird with distinctive long, bright yellow legs. Its white tail is crossed with thin, black bars, adding to its cryptic coloration. It has a long, thin, slightly upturned, dark bill with a paler base. The bill length is about 1.5 times the length of the head. Males and females look alike and the juveniles have plumage like that of the adults.
Adults in basic (winter) plumage have pale heads and necks with a few brown streaks on them. The breast and flanks are spotted and streaked grayish-brown. Greater Yellowlegs have a dark brown back with lighter featheredges.
Adults in alternate (breeding) plumage have their heads, necks and chests streaked with black. The bill is also black. Their pale flanks are barred with black. The white belly has sparse dark bars. The back and upperwings are dark brown, spotted with black and white. They also have off-white supercilium (line above the eye) and eye-ring, and smoky-colored lores.
This species is often confused with the Lesser Yellowlegs, Tringa flavipes. The most obvious difference between the two is that of size, with the Greater Yellowlegs weighing 171 grams versus the Lesser Yellowlegs at 81 grams.
(Elphick and Tibbits 1998, National Geographic Society 1999)
Average mass: 171 g.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
There is little data on the reproductive behavior of Greater Yellowlegs, but the mating system is presumed to be monogamous with an even sex ratio. The courting male runs in circles around a female and poses while quivering its up-held wings. In an established pair, the male does this for only a few seconds, while the "dance" must be done longer when attempting to create a pair. Eventually the male mounts the female's back and copulation occurs.
There is also no information on the duration or maintenance of the pair bond. There is evidence of joint care of the young, which indicates that the pair persists at least into the chick-rearing period. This bird has one brood per season and has 3-4 eggs in its clutch. There is no evidence of a second brood in the season, though individuals may renest after losing a clutch. The incubation period is 23 days while it takes 18-20 days to fledge.
There is no information on nest building, however, nest location has been studied. The nests are generally found on the ground at the base of short, coniferous trees and are placed in a moss-covered hummock. The nest structure is a scrape or depression in the moss, sometimes lined with leaves. Shrubs and small trees generally shade these nests.
The eggs are ovate pyriform in shape and have variable color. The background colors range from smoky-gray to an olive color. The spots are always some shade of brown, from light to dark. The spots are irregularly shaped and vary in size. They have a slightly glossy surface texture.
(Elphick and Tibbits 1998)
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
A large (14 inches) sandpiper, the Greater Yellowlegs in summer is most easily identified by its mottled gray back and wings, pale breast, long straight bill, and characteristic bright yellow legs. In winter, this species becomes slightly duller-plumaged overall. This species may be separated from the related Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) by that species’ much smaller size and from the Willet (Tringa semipalmata) by that species’ heavily-patterned wings and bluish legs. Male and female Greater Yellowlegs are similar to one another in all seasons. The Greater Yellowlegs breeds in Alaska and the Canadian subarctic. This species is a long-distance migrant, wintering from the coasts of the U.S. south to southern South America. Greater Yellowlegs migrate through the Caribbean, along both coasts of North America, and in the interior of the continent. Greater Yellowlegs primarily breed in freshwater marshes surrounded by northern evergreen forests. In winter and on migration, this species may be found in a number of wetland habitats, including freshwater or saltwater marshes, flooded grasslands, and estuaries. Greater Yellowlegs mainly eat small fish and invertebrates, including insects, aquatic worms, and mollusks. Due to its remote breeding habitat, most birdwatchers never see Greater Yellowlegs during the summer. On migration or during the winter, this species may be seen probing the mud for food with its bill while wading in shallow water. Greater Yellowlegs are primarily active during the day.
A large (14 inches) sandpiper, the Greater Yellowlegs in summer is most easily identified by its mottled gray back and wings, pale breast, long straight bill, and characteristic bright yellow legs. In winter, this species becomes slightly duller-plumaged overall. This species may be separated from the related Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) by that species’ much smaller size and from the Willet (Tringa semipalmata) by that species’ heavily-patterned wings and bluish legs. Male and female Greater Yellowlegs are similar to one another in all seasons. The Greater Yellowlegs breeds in Alaska and the Canadian subarctic. This species is a long-distance migrant, wintering from the coasts of the U.S. south to southern South America. Greater Yellowlegs migrate through the Caribbean, along both coasts of North America, and in the interior of the continent. Greater Yellowlegs primarily breed in freshwater marshes surrounded by northern evergreen forests. In winter and on migration, this species may be found in a number of wetland habitats, including freshwater or saltwater marshes, flooded grasslands, and estuaries. Greater Yellowlegs mainly eat small fish and invertebrates, including insects, aquatic worms, and mollusks. Due to its remote breeding habitat, most birdwatchers never see Greater Yellowlegs during the summer. On migration or during the winter, this species may be seen probing the mud for food with its bill while wading in shallow water. Greater Yellowlegs are primarily active during the day.
The greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) is a large shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It breeds in central Canada and southern Alaska and winters in southern North America, Central America, the West Indies and South America.
The greater yellowlegs was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it in the genus Scolopax and coined the binomial name Scolopax melanoleuca.[2] Gmelin based his description on the "stone snipe" seen feeding in autumn in Chateau Bay, Labrador, that had been described in 1785 by both the English ornithologist John Latham and by the Welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant.[3][4] The greater yellowlegs is now placed in the genus Tringa that was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.[5][6] The name Tringa is the Neo-Latin word given to the green sandpiper by the Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1603 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific epithet melanoleuca combines the Ancient Greek melas meaning "yellow" with leucos meaning "white".[7] The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.[6]
The greater yellowlegs is similar in appearance to the smaller lesser yellowlegs. Its closest relative, however, is the greenshank, which together with the spotted redshank form a close-knit group. Among them, these three species show all the basic leg and foot colors found in the shanks, demonstrating that this character is paraphyletic.[8] They are also the largest shanks apart from the willet, which is altogether more robustly built. The greater yellowlegs and the greenshank share a coarse, dark, and fairly crisp breast pattern as well as much black on the shoulders and back in breeding plumage.
Adults have long yellow legs and a long, thin, dark bill which has a slight upward curve and is longer than the head. The body is grey-brown on top and white underneath; the neck and breast are streaked with dark brown. The rump is white. It ranges in length from 29 to 40 cm (11 to 16 in) and in weight from 111 to 250 g (3.9 to 8.8 oz). Wingspan is 23.6 in (60 cm).[9]
The call is harsher, louder, and clearer than that of the lesser yellowlegs. They have a three-syllable whistle when flight-calling, with a lower pitched third syllable.
Their breeding habitat is bogs and marshes in the boreal forest region of Canada and Alaska. They migrate to the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States, the Caribbean, and south to South America. They are very rare vagrants to western Europe.[10]
They nest on the ground, usually in well-hidden locations near water. The three to four eggs average 49 mm (1.9 in) in length and 33 mm (1.3 in) in breadth and weigh about 28 g (0.99 oz). The incubation period is 23 days. The young leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching and then leave the vicinity of the nest within two days.[10]
These birds forage in shallow water, sometimes using their bills to stir up the water. They mainly eat insects and small fish, as well as crustaceans, marine worms, frogs, seeds and berries.[10]
The greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) is a large shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It breeds in central Canada and southern Alaska and winters in southern North America, Central America, the West Indies and South America.
