Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs 8-Jan-10

Fresh in my brain from last night's birding class, today's birds are Yellowlegs - both Greater Yellowlegs and Lesser Yellowlegs.  I guess the biggest question is, how do you tell them apart?  Well, the Greater is a larger bird and has a long, slightly upturned bill while the Lesser is a smaller bird with a shorter, straight bill.  They each have a different voice as well.  Of course, they both have bright yellow legs.

Greater:  Tringa melanoleuca.  GRYE.   l. 14", ws 28",  wt 6 oz.
Lesser:  Tringa flavipes.  LEYE.   l. 10.5", ws 24",  wt. 2.8 oz.

Yellowlegs are found in shallow-water habitats where they forage actively, even running after small fish.  They bob their head and body when alarmed.

In winter we get both Greater and Lesser here on the West Coast of California, and I notice that the range map shows that the Lesser's winter range extends north on the west coast to just the SF Bay, while the Greater's winter range continues up into Canada.

Very locally, a good spot to find a Greater Yellowlegs is the western shore of Shoreline Lake in Mountain View, CA.  The first photo posted here is from that spot.  The other photo is from the corner of State & Spreckels in Alviso, CA.  I think the closest bird in this second photo may be a Lesser.

For more information:

Greater Yellowlegs:  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Yellowlegs/id
Lesser Yellowlegs:  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/lesser_yellowlegs/id