Greater Yellowlegs

Tringa melanoleuca (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

29–40 cmLength162 gWeight

The greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) is a large shorebird in the family Scolopacidae.

Busiest months: April and August–October · Most records: United States, Canada, Chile

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Greater Yellowlegs has been recorded at 1,595 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 61 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Parker River NWRUnited States22,562 records
Edwin B. Forsythe NWRUnited States17,464 records
Bombay Hook National Wildlife RefugeUnited States15,911 records

More places

Cape Island – South Cape May MeadowsUnited States13,969 records
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWRUnited States12,745 records
Edwin B. Forsythe NWR – Wildlife DriveUnited States12,240 records
Reifel Bird SanctuaryCanada9,778 records
Riparian Preserve at Gilbert Water RanchUnited States9,714 records
Merritt Island NWR – Black Point Wildlife DriveUnited States9,104 records
Hagerman NWRUnited States8,806 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada Chile Mexico Colombia Argentina Peru Costa Rica

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Greater Yellowlegs?

The Greater Yellowlegs is about 29–40 cm long and weighs around 162 g.

Where does the Greater Yellowlegs live?

Its breeding range: North America: (mainly) temperate taiga muskeg of Nearctic: southern Alaska and southwestern Canada through southern tier of Canadian provinces to eastern Labrador (eastern Canada). It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Chile.

When is the best time to see the Greater Yellowlegs?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April, August, September and October (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Greater Yellowlegs endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Greater Yellowlegs as Near Threatened.

What does the Greater Yellowlegs eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Greater Yellowlegs in?

It belongs to the family Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: 29–40 cm
Weight: 162 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Near Threatened

More measurements

Wing: 194 mm
Tail: 80 mm
Bill: 60 mm
Tarsus: 60 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: (mainly) temperate taiga muskeg of Nearctic: southern Alaska and southwestern Canada through southern tier of Canadian provinces to eastern Labrador (eastern Canada)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2