Greater yellowlegs spied at Oconto Marsh

By: 
Cathy Carnes
Special to NEW Media

The high-stepping quick strides and rapid head bobs of the greater yellowlegs as it waded through the shallows caught our eye on a recent visit to the Oconto Marsh.

A relatively tall shorebird, its yellow legs and a long black bill that is slightly upturned distinguish this sandpiper from others. Now in its breeding plumage, the head, neck and breast are heavily streaked in black, and its back sports an intricately embroidered mosaic of blacks, browns and white.

We also hear its distinctive call, a loud string of three or more slightly descending “tew” notes, aptly described by National Geographic’s Field Guide to the Birds of N.A. (Fifth Edition).

According to TheCornellLabs “All About Birds” website, the greater yellowlegs is often called a “marshpiper” because it wades through deeper water than other sandpipers — its long legs allowing it to easily navigate its watery world. It is heavier and longer-billed than its lookalike, the lesser yellowlegs, which we also caught a glimpse of at the marsh. Its diet, like other sandpipers, includes small invertebrates (snails, worms) picked from the mud, as well as small fish and frogs.

It is a relatively solitary bird. You may see them migrating with other sandpipers, but they rarely interact with them beyond traveling together.

It’s amazing to think of the breadth of the migratory flight of this sandpiper pulled by its biological clock, changing weather, and day length to journey north. It’s only here at the marsh for a stopover, to fuel up and rest so it can continue that journey. According to “All About Birds,” the greater yellowlegs winters along the marshy coastal areas of the U.S., Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and parts of South America. The journey ends at its breeding ground hundreds if not thousands of miles north in the boreal wetlands of Canada and Alaska.

Once on the breeding grounds, no time is lost; the males energetically court the females, diving and calling and running in circles around her, then pausing to pose with upraised wings before her. How can she turn down such an attentive, flashy suitor? Their nests are often located at the base of short, evergreen trees. The chicks, amazingly, leave the nest a few hours after hatching and feed themselves. A very successful strategy for survival!

According to “All About Birds,” the population of the greater yellowlegs appears stable. Like many birds that were hunted in great numbers, sometimes with hundreds lost in one season, these birds are now protected by The Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Although hunting is not a problem in mainland North America, it still is in the Caribbean where thousands of migrating shorebirds are shot every year, including greater yellowlegs.

Loss of wetland habitat on the wintering grounds is also a threat, but difficult to measure. Head down to the Oconto Marsh or other wetland areas to get a glimpse of the greater yellowlegs before it resumes its migratory journey north.

May is a great time to bird watch with so many migratory birds passing through. Also look for ducks, grebes, sandhill cranes, woodpeckers, yellow-rumped warblers and other bird species, all the while being serenaded by the boisterous konk-la-reee of the red-winged blackbirds.


Cathy Carnes of Oconto is a retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who volunteers with Bird City Oconto.

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