Species of Concern
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipes
Also known as: Lesser Yellow-Legs, Pond Bird, Yellow-Legs
Habitat
Aquatic
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
78 g
About This Species
Watch for a slim, long-legged shorebird picking daintily through shallow water and mudflats, often bobbing its head and wading up to its belly while foraging alone or in small loose groups. Its clear, two-noted call is a useful way to detect it before it comes into view. Migration periods, especially autumn, offer the best chances of encountering it at coastal wetlands and inland pools along its route.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Because this species is classified as vulnerable, keep well back, use optics rather than closing the distance, and never approach for a closer photo.
- Stay off exposed mudflats and shallows where it is feeding or resting, and retreat immediately if it stops foraging, bunches with others, or becomes alert to your presence.
- Wetland birds and their habitats carry legal protections in many countries, though the specifics vary, so treat any disturbance as something to avoid entirely rather than assume it is permitted.
VUAvesCharadriiformesScolopacidae
Seasonal Activity
2,017,744 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Aquatic
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 78 g
Photo
(c) Kent Ross, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Kent Ross
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.