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Greater Yellowlegs with Lesser in foreground.
Tringa melanoleuca
33.7313, -96.7771
Field Notes
Description:
Large sandpiper with mottled brown, gray, and white upperparts. Underparts are white with dark streaks, spots. Bill is slightly upturned. Legs are long and bright yellow. Long barred tail and white rump are conspicuous in flight. Swift direct flight, sometimes at great heights.
Habitat:
Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, a haven for migratory birds and other wildlife, lies on the Big Mineral Arm of Lake Texoma, on the Red River between Oklahoma and Texas. The refuge is made up of water, marsh, and upland habitat.
The main focus at Hagerman NWR is providing a winter home for thousands of waterfowl. Foremost among the waterfowl are Canada geese. During fall, winter, and spring, numbers can reach 7,500 or more. Other geese include white-fronted and snow geese, with a scattering of the smaller Ross' geese.
Notes:
The Greater Yellowlegs is a long-legged, slender wader with a thin neck, a thin bill and bright yellow legs. It is hard to tell apart from its smaller, but similar looking relative, the Lesser Yellowlegs. Besides being smaller, the Lesser Yellowlegs has a shorter bill which is not as thick as the Greater Yellowlegs. The Greater Yellowlegs bill is also paler at the base except when the bird is in breeding plumage.
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