Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 9.1–9.8 in
23–25 cm - Wingspan
- 23.2–25.2 in
59–64 cm - Weight
- 2.4–3.3 oz
67–94 g
Other Names
- Petit chevalier (French)
- Patamarilla menor (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Both the male and female Lesser Yellowlegs provide parental care to the young, but the female tends to leave the breeding area before the chicks can fly, thus leaving the male to defend the young until fledging.
Habitat
Marsh
Breeds in open boreal forest with scattered shallow wetlands. Winters in wide variety of shallow fresh and saltwater habitats.
Food
Insects
Aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, particularly flies and beetles. Occasionally small fish and seeds.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Egg Description
- Gray with brown markings.
- Condition at Hatching
- Downy and able to walk. Leave nest in a few hours after hatching and feed themselves.
Nest Description
Depression in ground or moss, lined with dry grass, decayed leaves, spruce needles or other debris, placed on dry, mossy ridges or hummocks, next to fallen branches and logs, and underneath low shrubs.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Probing
Active forager, walks through shallow water and picks up prey on or below water surface, dashes after prey on land.
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations appear stable.
Credits
- Tibbitts, T. L., and W. Moskoff. 1999. Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes). In The Birds of North America, No. 427 (A.Poole and F.Gill,eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.