| Lesser yellowlegs | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Scolopacidae |
| Genus: | Tringa |
| Species: | T. flavipes |
| Binomial name | |
| Tringa flavipes (Gmelin, JF, 1789) | |
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Breeding Migration Nonbreeding | |
| Synonyms | |
Totanus flavipes | |
Thelesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) is a medium-sizedshorebird. It breeds in theboreal forest region of North America.
The lesser yellowlegs wasformally described in 1789 by the German naturalistJohann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition ofCarl Linnaeus'sSystema Naturae. He placed it in thegenusScolopax and coined thebinomial nameScolopax flavipes.[2] Gmelin based his description on the "yellow shanks" seen in the province of New York in autumn that had been described in 1785 by both the English ornithologistJohn Latham and the Welsh naturalistThomas Pennant.[3][4] The lesser yellowlegs is now placed in the genusTringa that was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalistCarl Linnaeus in thetenth edition of hisSystema Naturae.[5][6] The nameTringa is theNeo-Latin word given to thegreen sandpiper by the Italian naturalistUlisse Aldrovandi in 1603 based onAncient Greektrungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned byAristotle. The specific epithetflavipes combines theLatinflavus meaning "yellow" withpes meaning "foot".[7] The species ismonotypic: nosubspecies are recognised.[6]
The lesser yellowlegs is a medium-large shorebird, 23–25 cm (9.1–9.8 in) in overall length and with a wingspan of 59–64 cm (23–25 in) and a weight of 67–94 g (2.4–3.3 oz). The sexes are similar both in plumage and in overall size. In breeding plumage, the upperparts are mottled with gray-brown, black and white. The underparts are white with irregular brown streaking on the breast and neck. In non-breeding plumage, the upperparts are more uniform gray-brown.[8] The legs are yellow. Compared to the greater yellowlegs, the bill is shorter (visually about the same length as the head), slim, straight, and uniformly dark. The breast is streaked and the flanks are finely marked with short bars.[9]
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This species is similar in appearance to the largergreater yellowlegs, although it is more closely related to the much largerwillet;[10] the fine, clear, and dense pattern of the neck shown in breeding plumage indicates these species' actual relationships.
The call of this bird is softer than that of the greater yellowlegs.
Theymigrate to theGulf coast of theUnited States, theCaribbean, and south toSouth America.This species is a regular vagrant to western Europe; inGreat Britain about five birds arrive each year, mostly between August and October,[11] with the occasional individual overwintering. Their breeding habitat is clearings near ponds in theboreal forest region fromAlaska toQuebec.
The nest is a depression on dry mossy ground and is usually well hidden. The clutch is normally four eggs. These are buff or gray-brown and are covered in spots of various shades of brown. On average they measure 42 mm × 29 mm (1.7 in × 1.1 in). They are incubated for 22-23 days by both sexes. Both parents brood and care for the precocial young which leave the nest a few hours after hatching. They can feed themselves on departure from the nest. They fly at 23 to 31 days.[8]
Lesser yellowlegs forage in shallow water, sometimes using their bill to stir up the water. They mainly eat insects (such as flies, beetles,water boatmen, and mayflies),[12] small fish, crustaceans, aquatic worms, molluscs (such as snails), spiders, and seeds.[13][12]
