photographs by Douglas Herr

family Scolopacidae: Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

Field identification tips: The Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) is very similar to the smaller Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes); T. melanoleuca's bill is longer than the head by about 1.5 times, can appear slightly upturned, and in winter the bill is light at the base giving a bicolored appearance. In contrast the bill of T. flavipes is slim, straight and about the same length as the head. Typical range: A widespread species in the New World, T. melanoleuca breeds in the boreal forests of Alaska and Canada from the Gulf of Alaska to the Maritime Provinces, and winters throughout most of South and Central America, Mexico and southern and temperate coastal United States. Habitat: T. melanoleuca is a bird of bogs and marshes, often wading in deeper water than many other sandpiper species.