Fauna Flora Photography

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes

A medium-sized shorebird breeding at clearings near ponds in the boreal forest from Alaska to Quebec. The species forages in shallow waters, eating insects, small fish and crustaceans. In winter the bird migrates South to the gulf of Mexico and South America.

Specs

Length28-30cm
Weight70-100g
Wingspan50cm

Common Names

GermanKleiner Gelbschenkel
EnglishLesser Yellowlegs
FrenchPetit Chevalier
SpanishPitotoy chico

Taxonomy

OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyScolopacidae
SpeciesTringa flavipes

How to Identify

The species is similar in appearance to the Greater Yellowlegs, both having yellow legs but the beak of this species is shorter (about the same length as the head) and uniformly dark.

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) - Tadoussac - 2018-05-25

Where and When to Spot

I spotted this species only in May in Tadoussac.

Last updated on 2024-03-14. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.