Greater Yellowlegs

The Greater Yellowlegs is a tall, slender sandpiper easily recognized by its long, bright yellow legs and long, slightly upturned bill. Plumage is gray-brown above with fine spotting, and white below, becoming more heavily marked with dark streaking in breeding plumage.

It is often the first bird to sound the alarm when disturbed, flying up with loud, ringing calls that alert other wetland birds to danger—behavior that has earned it the old folk name "telltale."

A widespread and conspicuous wetland bird across much of North America during migration and winter, it is often seen actively chasing small fish in shallow water, a distinctive foraging behavior among sandpipers.

Key field marks

• Long, bright yellow legs
• Long, straight-to-slightly-upturned bill, noticeably longer than the head
• Gray-brown, finely spotted upperparts
• Loud, ringing three- or four-note call

Similar species

• Lesser Yellowlegs is smaller and more delicate with a shorter, thinner, perfectly straight bill and a softer, one- or two-note call.
• Willet is bulkier with blue-gray (not yellow) legs and a bold black-and-white flight pattern.

Greater Yellowlegs breed in boreal forest wetlands, bogs, and muskeg across Canada and Alaska. During migration and winter they occupy a wide range of shallow wetland habitats, including marshes, mudflats, flooded fields, and coastal estuaries, from the southern United States through Central America to South America.

Voice

A loud, ringing, three- or four-note whistled call, often rendered as tew-tew-tew, given readily in alarm—far louder and more insistent than the call of the Lesser Yellowlegs.

Feeding

Actively forages in shallow water, often running and swishing its bill side to side to chase and catch small fish, in addition to picking aquatic insects and crustaceans from mud and water.

Nesting

Nests on the ground near boreal wetlands, typically in a shallow scrape concealed by low vegetation. Both parents defend the nest and are notably wary, often giving loud alarm calls at the first sign of disturbance.