Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

The Lesser Yellowlegs is a small, wading bird with long legs and a long bill. It loves to hunt for food in shallow waters and can be seen running around the edges of ponds and marshes.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Lesser Yellowlegs is a slender shorebird with strikingly long, bright yellow legs and a thin, dark bill. It has a speckled grey-brown back, a white belly, and finely barred flanks. Its overall paler appearance helps distinguish it from similar species.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderCharadriiformesFamilyScolopacidaeGenusTringa

Lesser Yellowlegs

Interesting facts

Their loud "tew-tew-tew" call acts like an alarm for other birds to watch out!

These birds fly almost non-stop for days during their incredibly long migrations!

They use their super sensitive bills to "feel" for yummy worms hidden under the mud!

Young yellowlegs can leave their nest and find food all by themselves just hours after hatching!

Special abilities

Lesser Yellowlegs can wade into deeper waters because of their incredibly long legs that help them reach food other birds can't.

Lesser Yellowlegs can snatch tiny prey swiftly because of their slender, sharp bills that help them grab insects and small fish.

Lesser Yellowlegs has incredible endurance that helps them fly thousands of kilometers between their breeding and wintering grounds.

Measurements & details

Length: 23-28 cm
Wingspan: 58-64 cm
Weight: 0.06-0.1 kg
Lifespan: 5-12 years
Top Speed: 60 km/h
Clutch Size: 3-4
Incubation: 22-23 days
Migration Distance: 8000 km

Diet & Feeding

A tiny hunter, they feast on insects and small aquatic animals found in shallow water.

Primary Foods

Aquatic insects
Small fish
Crustaceans
Marine worms
Tadpoles

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Adult Lesser Yellowlegs can be hunted by this swift raptor.

eaten by

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

Foxes sometimes prey on eggs and chicks from ground nests.

eats

Three-spined Stickleback

Gasterosteus aculeatus

Small fish like sticklebacks are a common food source for this bird.

eats

Lake Midge

Chironomus plumosus

Larvae of these aquatic insects are a key part of their diet.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.