Greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) wade in deeper water than other other sandpipers, thus earning them a nickname of “marshpipers.” They and their smaller lookalikes, the lesser yellowlegs, can be seen on the beaches and shorelines all over New York City.
Greater yellowlegs, Turtle Cove, Pelham Bay Park, April 16, 2021
My favorite place to watch the yellowlegs is the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, but on May 22, 2019, I was at Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx when I heard a strident vocalizing and found this greater yellowlegs singing an a cappella aria for about six minutes (the video captures part of the performance). I will add a lesser yellowlegs page soon, and more of these fun greater yellowlegs.
The greater yellowlegs and lesser yellowlegs are difficult to tell apart unless you see them together. This bird was ID’d as a greater yellowlegs because of (1) the yellow legs and (2) the bill that is longer than the head. This was a solitary bird, so no comparison could be made.
At first when I heard the bird and saw him in the shadier part of the water, I thought it was a willet. I filmed a willet’s aria in 2017, so you can compare the sound. But when this bird moved into the sunlight, I saw those yellow legs.
