Weekly Bird Identification Quiz
April 19 - 25, 2010
How to Identify:
To many birders, this shorebird is immediately identified as some species of yellowlegs. This is when many people run into trouble. There is no object in the photo that gives you a size reference so you cannot base your identification solely on the size of the bird. The best way to distinguish between Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs is to judge the length of the bill in comparison with the length of the head. If the bill looks to be about the same length as the head, the bird is a Lesser Yellowlegs if the bill in longer than the head, the bird is a Greater Yellowlegs. Greater Yellowlegs also tend to have a slightly more upturned bill. This bird is a Lesser Yellowlegs based on the bill length and the fact that it is very straight.
Answer: Lesser Yellowlegs
Photo Location: Goose Pond FWA, IN
Photo Date: April 2010
Correct Answers:
Su Snyder, Wooster, OH
Landon Neumann, Logansport, IN
Patty MacLean, Waynesville, NC
John Mueller, Avon, IN
Mary Ann Anderson, Wauseon, OH
Other Answers:
Greater Yellowlegs - 1