Photo: Mike Baird (bairdphotos.com) / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 162 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
- Genus Tringa
- Species melanoleuca
Where it lives
(mainly) temperate taiga muskeg of Nearctic: southern Alaska and southwestern Canada through southern tier of Canadian provinces to eastern Labrador (eastern Canada)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 162 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Critically Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Greater Yellowlegs hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Greater Yellowlegs is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) is a member of the Scolopacidae family, within the order Charadriiformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA (mainly) temperate taiga muskeg of Nearctic: s Alaska and sw Canada through s tier of Canadian provinces to e Labrador (e Canada).
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 162 g, with a wing length of about 19.5 cm and a tail of around 8 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 4.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Greater Yellowlegs?
The Greater Yellowlegs is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 162 g.
Where does the Greater Yellowlegs live?
The Greater Yellowlegs is found across North America with a range covering NA (mainly) temperate taiga muskeg of Nearctic: s Alaska and sw Canada through s tier of Canadian provinces to e Labrador (e Canada), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Greater Yellowlegs belong to?
The Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Greater Yellowlegs eat?
The Greater Yellowlegs hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Greater Yellowlegs migrate?
The Greater Yellowlegs is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Greater Yellowlegs endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Greater Yellowlegs make?
1 real field recording of the Greater Yellowlegs — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Greater Yellowlegs's range?
The Greater Yellowlegs has a mapped global range of about 4.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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