Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Known as the 'marsh guardian,' its piercing 'tew-tew-tew' alarm call alerts all nearby wildlife to the presence of a predator.
- Scientific name
- Tringa melanoleuca
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Charadriiformes › Scolopacidae › Tringa
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Fresh and brackish wetlands, mudflats, tidal marshes, and flooded fields.
- Diet
- Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, crustaceans, and snails.
- Range
- North America, Central America, South America, Caribbean
- Size
- 29-40 cm length, 60-70 cm wingspan
- Lifespan
- 9-12 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland degradation, coastal development, and climate-driven changes to boreal breeding grounds.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and skittish. Maintain a distance of at least 30 meters to avoid causing stress. If the bird begins bobbing its head or calling loudly, you are too close and should back away slowly.
The greater yellowlegs ( Tringa melanoleuca ) is a large North American shorebird. The genus name Tringa is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek trungas , a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific melanoleuca is from Ancient Greek melas , "black", and leukos , "white".
Photo: Adam Jackson, CC0, via iNaturalist
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