Both having a range across the U.S., they are hard to differentiate everywhere. Often referred to as a “marshpiper” for its habit of wading in deeper water than other sandpipers, the Greater Yellowlegs is heftier and longer-billed than its lookalike, the Lesser Yellowlegs. In migration, the Greater Yellowlegs is common from coast to coast. Although all three guides suggest differences in pitch and/or tone quality, most people took away a simple rule: three or more notes is a mark for Greater Yellowlegs, less than three notes is a mark for Lesser.Everybody understood that this was a rule of thumb and not a universal law, but still, it was a very popular mental shortcut. These two birds are two commonly misidentified and confusing bird species. South Dakota Status: Less common than Lesser Yellowlegs, more difficult to approach (and photograph!!). Yellowlegs - greater or lesser Bird Identification Q&A. Greaters also have a longer, thicker bill, especially at the base, that is often two-tone. Like most shorebirds, it nests on the ground, where its cryptic coloration and tenacity make nests difficult to … Lesser Yellowlegs are Killdeer-sized sandpipers, but with long legs that can sometimes be covered in mud. Among them, these three species show all the basic leg and foot colors found in the shanks, demonstrating that this character is paraphyletic. See more. Yellowlegs definition, either of two American shorebirds having yellow legs, Tringa melanoleuca (greater yellowlegs) or T. flavipes (lesser yellowlegs). Greater Yellowlegs vs Lesser Yellowlegs. It is about the two strikingly similar bird species: The Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. Sometimes it may annoy the birder by spooking the other shorebirds with its alarm calls; usually it is a pleasure to watch as it feeds actively in the shallows, running about on trademark yellow legs. Both bills are black, but in the winter, the greater yellowlegs' bill lightens at the base to give it a two-tone appearance. Greater yellowlegs definition is - a common North American bird (Tringa melanoleuca) of marsh and shore that is largely gray above and white below with black or dark gray flecks and yellow legs. Although all three guides suggest differences in pitch and/or tone quality, most people took away a simple rule: three or more notes is a mark for Greater Yellowlegs, less than three notes is a mark for Lesser.Everybody understood that this was a rule of thumb and not a universal law, but still, it was a very popular mental shortcut. Its closest relative, however, is the greenshank, which together with the spotted redshank form a close-knit group. The is bill slightly longer than its head. The greater yellowlegs' bill also has a very slight upturn and is thicker, particularly at the base, while the lesser yellowlegs' bill is straight and thinner. Although the Greater Yellowlegs is common and widespread, its low densities and tendency to breed in inhospitable, mosquito-ridden muskegs make it one of the least-studied shorebirds on the continent.