Lesser Yellowlegs
(Tringa flavipes) M |
 |
RANGE: Breeds from central Alaska and central
Yukon to northern Manitoba, northern Ontario, and extreme
west-central Quebec south to east-central British Columbia,
across to southeastern Manitoba. Winters along the Pacific and
Atlantic Coasts from southern California and South Carolina
south to South America.
STATUS: Common.
HABITAT: Inhabits the Nearctic coniferous forest zone, from
boreal and subarctic regions into the low Arctic; occurs mainly
inland, and to some extent upland. Prefers grassy meadows and
bogs, natural clearings, or burned areas in forest with
scattered stumps and fallen logs, often far from open water.
Outside the breeding season, inhabits shallow prairie sloughs in
open country, muddy shores of lakes and marshy ponds, sewage
beds, river margins, and inland and coastal marshes.
SPECIAL HABITAT REQUIREMENTS: Tundra and muskeg.
NEST: Nests in a depression on the ground, singly or in loose
colonies. Locates nest on a dry sloping bank, ridge, or level
plateau, in open high woodland with sparse, fairly low
undergrowth, in swampy muskeg, or on undrained land surrounded
by farmland.
FOOD: Forages by picking and snatching food from shallow water,
especially in wet, shortgrass marshes, or in shallow ponds, wet
cultivated fields, or on mudflats. Eats ants, bugs, flies,
grasshoppers, insect larvae, small fishes, crustaceans, and
worms.
REFERENCES: Bent 1927, Cramp and Simmons 1983, Low and Mansell
1983, Miller 1999, Palmer 1967, Shunk 2004. |
