Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

Family
Scolopacidae (Sandpipers, Snipes, Phalaropes)

Size
29 - 35 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Gmelin, 1789)

Derivation
Tring'-a - N.L., from Gk, tryngas, a species of bird: mel'-an-ol��c-os - Gk, melas (melano), black; Gk leucos, white

Habitat
Freshwater and coastal wetlands.

Range (Guide)

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada (P), Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica (NB), Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Pierre and Miquelon (P), St Vincent and The Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands (NB), Uruguay (NB), USA (B), Venezuela, Virgin Islands (British) (NB), Virgin Islands (U.S.) (NB).

Vagrant to Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), France, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Marshall Islands, Netherlands, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia (Asian), South Korea, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

Unknown to United States Minor Outlying Islands.

Population
Estimated population is 100,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Three or more loud 'pyuu' or 'chew' notes similar to that of Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), the final syllable lower pitched. A repeated single 'tew' uttered in alarm. Also single, double and multiple calls.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (61)...)

Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) [XC584815]
by Arcadio Marin from Skidaway Island, Chatham County, GA USA, United States (flight call)

Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) [XC612348]
by Doug Hynes from Humedal de Batuco, Chacabuco, Regi\u00f3n Metropolitana, Chile (call, song)

Subspecies
No subspecies.

Similar Species
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
Smaller. Bill is shorter, thinner and straighter. Call is less piercing and notes not as longer. Utters fewer notes.

Compare Images

References
See References.

The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7

Files:

JPG files for Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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