• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Wader I.D (1 Viewer)

Grousemore

Senior Member
I would be grateful for any information regarding the attached pic,which I took today at Merritt Island,Florida and which has subsequently raised some doubts.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN0483bf.JPG
    DSCN0483bf.JPG
    81.7 KB · Views: 312
Grousemore said:
I would be grateful for any information regarding the attached pic,which I took today at Merritt Island,Florida and which has subsequently raised some doubts.
Looks like a greater yellowlegs from here.
Doug
 
Hi Trevor,

I believe that these four birds are Lesser Yellowlegs. The best way to tell the Lesser from the Greater Yellowlegs is with a side by side comparison. Of course this is not possible from this photograph, because they are all of one size. Another way to distinguish which yellowlegs it is, is by their calls. Again this does not help us here. A third way is by the lenght of their respective bills. Greater Yellowlegs have longer bills than Lesser Yellowlegs and they are usually slightly upturned. The distance from the back of the head to the bill on the Lesser Yellowlegs is about the same distance as the lenght of the bill. On the Greater the bill is about one and one half the distance from the back of the head to the bill. This is the factor I am using to identify these as Lesser Yellowlegs.
 
On the same characteristics, I have to say I think they're Greaters: bill is distinctly upturned (and pale at the base) and it is perceptibly longer (granted, not one and a half times, which I think is overstating it) than head width. Muddled breast streaking is the main bugaboo for Greater, but the one on the right (with most visible breast) may be more muddled than the others. The right bird's head looks a bit more like Lesser, but I think that's because it is slightly turned away from us, so bill is foreshortened. As I recall there is some sexual dimorphism too, but haven't got the book handy-- I'll check it this evening.
 
Any flanks and vent barring is a strong indicator of Greater, though not always present.

All Greaters for me.

Spud
 
I got to my Hayman, Marchant-- sorry, on the dimorphism point I was thinking of godwits. However, there's an interesting drawing on the difference in nostril placement between Gtr and Lssr, in which the former's is farther from the bill base than the latter's. This perhaps can be seen on the right bird as a dark oblong on the pale basal part of the bill, which again indicates Greater.
 
I agree that these are Greaters but to my eyes the bill of the right hand bird looks slightly longer and slightly more upturned than the bird on the left (the one not asleep). Is there much individual variation or perhaps sexual dimorphism in bill length in Greaters. Maybe this is the source of the 'doubts' that Grousemore was referring to.
 
I don't want to "give it up" quite yet. I guess I am just kind of "hard headed"!

I wish there would have been a Killdeer or other shorebird nearby for a size comparison. That would be a "clincher".

You guys may be correct, the bill on the bird on the far right does look like it may be slightly "upcurved". and the other bird's bill may be "foreshortened" due to the angle. But,........

*Another characteristic related to me from an old time birding friend is the "knobby" knee joint on the Greater Yellowlegs as compared to the Lesser Yellowlegs. See Sibley's Guide to Birds page 170. The birds in the photo do not appear to have this "knobby" look. I have, however, found this field mark to be a little bit subjective.
 
Last edited:
Firstly,thanks to all for their input and expertise which is appreciated.

When looking at the birds,I noted them in my book as Greater Yellowlegs.It was only having looked at the pics I took that some doubt crept in,mainly due to the colour of the birds.Sibley and others show a much greyer colour,whereas my pics seemed to be more brownish,more akin to a Willet.

Larry-the only other pic is of another one standing apart from the group.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN0485.JPG
    DSCN0485.JPG
    78.3 KB · Views: 198
Larry Lade said:
*Another characteristic related to me from an old time birding friend is the "knobby" knee joint on the Greater Yellowlegs as compared to the Lesser Yellowlegs. See Sibley's Guide to Birds page 170. The birds in the photo do not appear to have this "knobby" look. I have, however, found this field mark to be a little bit subjective.
Hi Larry,

No surprise they don't appear knobbly, their 'knobbly knees' are under the water! (the apparent bend in the legs of some is the angle of the leg at the water surface, to its reflection)

Last pic's another Greater 'legs, too.

Michael
 
Last edited:
Well, Michael, you are not going "to cut me any slack" at all are you!;)

I guess I will have to capitulate and bow to the judgement of the majority. I will go along with the "boys across the pond"....Greater Yellowlegs it shall be.
 
I must admit to finding this pair rather difficult, the frequent lack of plumage clues does not suit them to my method of identification which is based mainly on observable detail rather than more general impressions.

when confronted by one of these things I try to think of it in the following way:

Could the bird in question conceivably be mistaken for a Greenshank or does it look more like a Redshank or Wood Sandpiper, if yes to the former it'll be a Greater, if yes to the latter it'll be a Lesser.

This will be of no use to anyone unfamiliar with Greenshanks etc... but it works for me.

I'm much happier if the bill structure of colour is unequivocal or if some flank barring is present though!

Spud
 
Hi Spud,

They certainly gave me much more of a Greenshank impression, than Marsh (or Wood) Sandp - whereas the Marsh Sandp I saw on Teescide this spring had a much more Lesser 'legs look to it

Michael
 
Yes, Marsh Sand would be another useful reference point. While Greater Legs is a very close match for Greenshank in size and most aspects of structure there isn't such a precise match for Lesser legs in the Old World.

Incidenatlly I agree that all of the birds shown are Greaters.

Spud
 
logos said:
When confronted by one of these things I try to think of it in the following way:

Could the bird in question conceivably be mistaken for a Greenshank or does it look more like a Redshank or Wood Sandpiper, if yes to the former it'll be a Greater, if yes to the latter it'll be a Lesser.
I've only a limited experience with either species, but that's exactly the thing I look for too. Greater = rather Greenshank-like build and jizz; Lesser = even more dainty than a Redshank. I think it's a useful initial pointer at any rate.

Jason
 
Warning! This thread is more than 20 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top