Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs (Trinca melanoleuca)
Species Code: TRME

Description: The Greater Yellowlegs's bill appears slightly upturned.

Range / Habitat: Greater Yellowlegs breed in muskeg bogs in the northern boreal forest. Their wintering and migration habitats are more general; they can be found in many fresh and saltwater wetland habitats, including open marshes, mudflats, estuaries, open beaches, lakeshores, and riverbanks. In comparison to Lesser Yellowlegs, Greaters are typically found in more open areas, on larger bodies of water, and on more extensive mudflats.

The Greater Yellowlegs winters along the coast of Washington, south to Baja California and Mexico, on coastal mud flats and marshes. It breeds on tundra from Cooke Inlet in Alaska and south all across Canada. Uncommon to rare winter resident in Washington, both fresh and salt water. (BirdWeb)

Diet: Greater Yellowlegs mainly eat insects and insect larvae during the breeding season. During winter and migration, small fish, crustaceans, snails, and other aquatic animals round out the diet.

Behavior:

The Greater Yellowlegs

Migration: Greater Yellowlegs are long-distance migrants. They begin moving south from the breeding grounds in late June. During migration, they are found in appropriate habitat from coast to coast. While some stay in Washington through winter, most continue on to the southern US and Central and South America. In spring, they leave South America by March and start heading back to the northern breeding grounds. (source: BirdWeb)

Nesting: Nest is a depression in ground or moss, lined with dry grass, decayed leaves, spruce needles or other debris. The nests are on dry, mossy ridges, next to fallen branches and logs, and found underneath low shrubs.

Both parents share incubation duties, and the 4 eggs hatch in 22-23 days (3 weeks). The young are downy and able to walk after hatching. The young leave the nest soon after hatching and are able to feed themselves. Both parents care for and aggressively defend the young.

The female usually leaves about 11 days after the young hatch, while the male stays with the chicks until they can fly, about 23-31 days. Pairs raise only one brood per season.

Did you know?

Greater Yellowlegs

More information:
BirdWeb: Greater Yellowlegs
All About Birds: Greater Yellowlegs