Yellowlegs, Greater or Lesser?

[PhilG]

I've only been shooting birds for about 18 months, and I still sometimes have trouble identifying what I've photographed. Can someone identify from these photos whether they are Lessor or Greater Yellowlegs. The first three are the same bird on a single day, whereas the rest were taken over two days, but the birds are much the same.

Nikon Z8, Nikon 500mm PF w 1.4 TC, f/8, 1/2500, ISO 1250

Nikon Z8, Nikon 500mm PF w 1.4 TC, f/8, 1/2500, ISO 1100 Note the insect its tracking.

Nikon Z8, Nikon 500mm PF w 1.4 TC, f/8, 1/2500, ISO 1100

Nikon Z8, Nikon 500mm PF w 1.4 TC, f/8, 1/1250, ISO 800

Nikon Z8, Nikon 500mm PF w 1.4 TC, f/8, 1/1250, ISO 800

Nikon Z8, Nikon 500mm PF w 1.4 TC, f/8, 1/1250, ISO 800

Nikon Z8, Nikon 500mm PF w 1.4 TC, f/8, 1/2000, ISO 1600

Nikon Z8, Nikon 500mm PF w 1.4 TC, f/8, 1/2000, ISO 1800

 

[acreager1124]

Based on the bill length and straightness, I would say Lesser. Greater would have a longer bill and, perhaps more noticeably, slightly upturned.

 

[Callie]

Very nice images!

 

[PhilG]

Based on the bill length and straightness, I would say Lesser. Greater would have a longer bill and, perhaps more noticeably, slightly upturned.

Thanks, I was wondering how to differentiate between them. I saw something that said the Greater are bigger, but when you are looking at a single bird that by itself isn't very helpful. Is there anything in the feather pattern that can point to anything? The first three images look different that the rest, or is that a factor of the bird's age?

 

[PhilG]

Very nice images!

Thanks Callie

 

[peachfront]

Based on the bill length and straightness, I would say Lesser. Greater would have a longer bill and, perhaps more noticeably, slightly upturned.

Came here to post this, saw you beat me to it. I don't find it easy to judge by size unless the two species are together so I look at the bill. In good light or in a photo (or maybe obvious in even a bad photo) besides being upturned to me, the Greater's bill isn't such a uniform color as the Lesser's.

 

[PhilG]

Came here to post this, saw you beat me to it. I don't find it easy to judge by size unless the two species are together so I look at the bill. In good light or in a photo (or maybe obvious in even a bad photo) besides being upturned to me, the Greater's bill isn't such a uniform color as the Lesser's.

Thanks to you and acreager1124 for providing feedback on identification, I will look more closely at the bill. When I went to the Cornnell Labs all about birds website the photos were not especially helpful when I tried to do comparisons.

 

[acreager1124]

Yeah, size is always super tough, even when you know both species are nearby. In general, Greater Yellowlegs will have a more streaky head and more contrast in their plumage, while Lesser will have cleaner flanks and a slightly more slender profile. But plumage can vary considerably and should be used in combination with other more distinct features like the bill. This applies to any bird ID, but especially for the tricky ones like shorebirds, but the ID should be made by holistically considering all ID features. Sometimes trying to cherry pick one or two features can lead to an incorrect ID. As you've seen, your images do a great job showcasing how even the same species can have varying plumage. I'm not sure that the variation shown here can be attributed to age or anything like some other types of birds like gulls or raptors, some birds just looks slightly different!

 

[acreager1124]

Just to throw this out there too, The Shorebird Guide by Michael O'Brien, Richard Crossley, & Kevin Karlson is the best resource I know of for learning shorebirds. I think I got it off Amazon for about 20 bucks.