Lesser yellowlegs

Scientific name: Tringa flavipes

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Small shorebird with long, thin yellow legs (diagnostic), straight dark bill, and gray-brown upperparts with white underparts. Faintly streaked breast and neck; slighter and more delicate than Greater yellowlegs.

Size and weight

Adults weigh 25–35 g and measure 23–26 cm in body length; sexes are similar in size.

Habitat

Lesser yellowlegs inhabit shallow wetlands, marshes, mudflats, and pond edges during migration and wintering. They favor areas with open water and exposed mud or sand for feeding.

Distribution

Breeds across northern boreal regions of North America; winters in Central and South America with migration populations passing through wetlands across North America.

Diet

Forages on small invertebrates including insects, small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic larvae, obtained by picking or probing in shallow water and mud.

Behaviour

Highly active and vocal shorebird, typically diurnal. Often seen singly or in loose flocks; restless and wary, frequently taking flight with characteristic high calls.

Hunting tips

Look for flocks at shallow wetlands and mudflats during migration periods; their high, distinctive calls aid location. Approach open wetlands from downwind, using low cover or wading slowly. These birds flush readily, so still-hunting or blind placement overlooking feeding areas is most effective.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 2 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.