Big yellow leg
| Big yellow leg | ||||||||
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Large yellow thigh ( Tringa melanoleuca ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||
| Tringa melanoleuca | ||||||||
| ( Gmelin , 1789) |
The great yellow thigh ( Tringa melanoleuca ) is a North American snipe bird. In Central Europe it is a very rare wanderer who is observed much less often than the little yellow thigh .
features
The plumage of the 36 cm long large yellow thigh is speckled gray-brown on the top and lighter on the underside. The magnificent dress is patterned more strongly and shows darker spots on the back, the underside is also spotted. The long, slender beak is gray and the long, thin legs are colored orange or yellow.
Occurrence
The breeding area of the Greater Yellow Thigh is the taiga zone from southern Alaska and British Columbia via central Canada to Labrador, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
The Greater Yellowshank breeds on the tundra , in swamps, woodlands, and coniferous forests, usually near small lakes and ponds. He moves to Central and South America to winter. Occasionally it is seen in Northern Europe.
behavior
The big yellow thigh can usually be found alone. During the migration period, however, it forms larger swarms. It feeds on invertebrates, small fish and amphibians, but also on vegetarian food such as berries. In coastal areas at low tide it either picks up prey directly from the mud or pokes at them with its beak in the mud.
Reproduction
On the ground, often at the foot of a tree or under a bush, the bird lays three to four eggs in a shallow hollow in the ground that is padded with plant material.
literature
- Colin Harrison & Alan Greensmith: Birds. Dorling Kindersly Limited, London 1993,2000, ISBN 3-8310-0785-3
- Bryan Richard: Birds. Parragon, Bath, ISBN 1-4054-5506-3
Web links
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Tringa melanoleuca in the Internet Bird Collection
- Tringa melanoleuca inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2013.