Greater Yellowlegs

About the Greater Yellowlegs

The Greater Yellowlegs is a tall, elegant shorebird with long, bright yellow legs, a finely checkered gray-brown back, and a long bill that is often very slightly upturned. The classic identification problem is separating it from the Lesser Yellowlegs. The Greater is larger and more robust, and its bill is clearly longer than the width of its head, often with a paler base. The call helps even more: the Greater gives a ringing series of three or four clear "tew" notes, while the Lesser usually calls just once or twice.

Greater Yellowlegs are active, nervous feeders. They stride through shallow water, sometimes running in short dashes, and sweep the bill side to side to catch small fish and insects. They are often the first birds on a pond to call out in alarm when a person or a hawk approaches, which has earned them the old nickname "tattler."

The species breeds in the muskeg and boggy forest openings of Canada and Alaska and spends the colder months across the southern United States and Latin America. In Texas it is a common migrant and winter resident, found on coastal flats and inland ponds alike, and it is one of the most frequently reported shorebirds in the state.

These photos were taken on South Padre Island in Cameron County on November 23, 2022.