Tringa melanoleuca

(Gmelin, 1789)

Greater Yellowlegs

G5Secure Found in 89 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Near threatenedIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105760
Element CodeABNNF01020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNNear threatened
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyScolopacidae
GenusTringa
Other Common Names
Grand chevalier (FR) Maçarico-Tititiu, Maçarico-de-Perna-Amarela (PT) Patamarilla Mayor, Pitotoy Grande (ES)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-10
Change Date1996-11-25
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: from southern Alaska, central British Columbia, and southern Mackenzie east across northern and central parts of Canadian Provinces to Labrador, northeastern Nova Scotia, southern Quebec, and Newfoundland. NON-BREEDING: from Oregon, central California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, southern South Carolina through Mexico and Central America to Tierra del Fuego, including West Indies; rare in Hawaii. The Guianas are the major coastal nonbreeding areas in South America (Morrison and Ross 1989). Nonbreeders sometimes summer in winter range, especially in coastal U.S. and West Indies (AOU 1983). Fairly common throughout most of range.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Nonbreeding: marshes, ponds, lakes, stream margins and sand and gravel bars, lagoons, salinas, and coastal mudflats (AOU 1983, Stiles and Skutch 1989). Nests in muskeg country or at other wetlands, on the ground in a slight depression in moss or dry peat, usually near water.

Ecology

Generally not as gregarious as lesser yellowlegs; nonbreeding: usually solitary or in small groups.

Reproduction

Breeding begins in late May or early June (Harrison 1978). Usually 4 eggs are incubated (probably by both sexes) for 23 days (Terres 1980). Nestlings are precocial. Young are tended by both adults; capable of first flight in about 18-20 days.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedGrassland/herbaceous
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
Rhode IslandSNAYes
MontanaSNAYes
KentuckySNAYes
VirginiaSNRNYes
New MexicoS4NYes
ColoradoS4NYes
North CarolinaS4NYes
ArizonaS3NYes
ConnecticutSNAYes
New JerseyS4NYes
NebraskaSNRNYes
AlabamaS4NYes
South DakotaSNAYes
WyomingS4NYes
MinnesotaSNRMYes
PennsylvaniaS3MYes
New HampshireSNAYes
OhioSNAYes
WashingtonS4NYes
TexasS5Yes
IdahoS3MYes
LouisianaS5NYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
FloridaSNRNYes
DelawareS4NYes
AlaskaS5BYes
MississippiSNAYes
Navajo NationSNAYes
MissouriSNAYes
New YorkSNRNYes
UtahS2Yes
District of ColumbiaS3NYes
IowaS5NYes
IllinoisSNAYes
ArkansasSNAYes
South CarolinaS4NYes
North DakotaSNAYes
West VirginiaSNAYes
TennesseeS5NYes
OklahomaSNRNYes
MassachusettsS4NYes
KansasS4NYes
MaineS4NYes
MarylandS1NYes
CaliforniaSNRNYes
VermontSNAYes
WisconsinSNAYes
MichiganSNRNYes
OregonS5NYes
NevadaS4NYes
IndianaS3MYes
CanadaN5B,N4N
ProvinceRankNative
Northwest TerritoriesSUYes
AlbertaS4B,S5MYes
Yukon TerritoryS3BYes
ManitobaS5BYes
Nova ScotiaS3B,S4MYes
LabradorS4B,SUMYes
New BrunswickS1B,S4MYes
NunavutSUBYes
OntarioS4B,S5MYes
Island of NewfoundlandS3B,S4MYes
SaskatchewanS5BYes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
QuebecS4BYes
Prince Edward IslandS4MYes
Roadless Areas (89)
Alaska (46)
AreaForestAcres
AnanTongass National Forest36,666
Bering LakeChugach National Forest965,076
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
Central WrangellTongass National Forest13,397
ChichagofTongass National Forest555,858
Chilkat-West Lynn CanalTongass National Forest199,772
Chugach-13Chugach National Forest13,337
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Copper River WetlandsChugach National Forest85,972
Douglas IslandTongass National Forest28,065
East WrangellTongass National Forest7,630
FanshawTongass National Forest48,248
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
HardingTongass National Forest174,349
Hoonah SoundTongass National Forest79,764
HyderTongass National Forest121,723
Johnson PassChugach National Forest152,508
Juneau UrbanTongass National Forest101,581
Juneau-Skagway IcefieldTongass National Forest1,187,268
KartaTongass National Forest52,117
Kenai LakeChugach National Forest213,172
Kenai MountainsChugach National Forest306,600
LindenbergTongass National Forest25,855
Mansfield PeninsulaTongass National Forest54,991
Middle KruzofTongass National Forest14,724
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
North KruzofTongass National Forest33,146
North RevillaTongass National Forest215,430
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
ResurrectionChugach National Forest224,615
RevillaTongass National Forest29,298
RhineTongass National Forest23,010
Roaded DonutChugach National Forest968
Sheridan GlacierChugach National Forest224,683
Sitka SoundTongass National Forest13,459
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
Soda BayTongass National Forest78,091
South KruzofTongass National Forest55,193
Southeast WrangellTongass National Forest18,377
Taku-SnettishamTongass National Forest664,928
Tenakee RidgeTongass National Forest20,527
Twenty MileChugach National Forest198,775
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Windham-Port HoughtonTongass National Forest161,952
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
Arizona (2)
AreaForestAcres
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
California (7)
AreaForestAcres
Cucamonga AAngeles National Forest1,249
Fox MountainLos Padres National Forest52,072
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
Horse Mdw.Inyo National Forest5,687
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
Timbered CraterLassen National Forest4,096
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
Colorado (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dome PeakRoutt NF35,716
Idaho (3)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
HoodooNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest153,868
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
Montana (8)
AreaForestAcres
Bmss Ra 1485Flathead National Forest334,275
BridgerGallatin National Forest45,059
Cube Iron - SilcoxLolo National Forest36,998
Lebeau RA 1507Flathead National Forest5,450
North Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest52,227
Selway - Bitterroot (01067)Bitterroot National Forest114,953
West Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest133,563
West PioneerBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest248,631
Nevada (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bald Mtn.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest41,598
Moriah - Silver CreekHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,582
North Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
SheyenneDakota Prairie Grasslands14,537
Oregon (7)
AreaForestAcres
Drake - McdowellFremont National Forest5,767
HellholeUmatilla National Forest65,679
Maiden PeakDeschutes National Forest26,432
Sky Lakes AWinema National Forest3,940
TahkenitchSiuslaw National Forest5,799
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
Pennsylvania (2)
AreaForestAcres
CornplanterAllegheny National Forest2,929
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
South Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
Willow SpringsUmatilla National Forest10,414
Wyoming (4)
AreaForestAcres
Middle ForkShoshone National Forest51,772
Teton Corridor TrailheadsBridger-Teton National Forest286
West Slope TetonsTarghee National Forest47,448
Wilderness Study AreaTarghee National Forest51,961
References (37)
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