THE LESSER YELLOW-LEGS. 



{ Totanus flavipes, ) 



The Lesser Yellow-legs, or Yellow- 

 shanks, as it is frequently called, has a 

 wide and extensive range. Breeding in 

 the northern portion of North America, 

 though chiefly in the interior, from Min- 

 nesota, Illinois and New York, north- 

 ward to the arctic regions, it migrates on 

 the approach of cold weather. It passes 

 the winter season in the states bordering 

 the Gulf of Mexico, and southward 

 through South America to Patagonia. 

 While it may be found from ocean to 

 ocean, it is much less common in the 

 western than in the eastern portion of 

 North America. 



The Lesser Yellow-legs strongly 

 resembles the greater yellow-legs 

 (Totanus melanoleucus) both in plum- 

 age and habits. So strong is this resem- 

 blance that it has been called a "small 

 edition" of the larger species. The Lesser 

 Yellow-legs differs from its relative in 

 having, during the summer, the upper 

 parts ''more transversely spotted, with a 

 less amount of black, while the lower 

 parts are without well-defined transverse 

 spots or bars of black." During the win- 

 ter, the plumage of the head, neck and 

 throat is of quite a uniform ashy color 

 and is not distinctly streaked with darker. 

 It is, however, while the birds are flying 

 that an observer frequently desires to 

 distinguish the two species. This is not 

 always an easy matter, even for the 

 expert. Mr. Dawson says of the Lesser 

 Yellow-legs : "The most prominent 

 characteristic of these birds, as they flut- 

 ter about from place to place, or rise for 

 an extended flight, is the tail appearing 

 almost white — for the cross-barring of 

 the tail feathers, while apparent enough 

 in the hand, is scarcely noticeable at a 

 distance." 



One of the most interesting of the 

 Yellow-legs' habits is its watchfulness. 

 Not only has it a keen eyesight, but it 



also seems quick to discern the presence 

 of an unseen enemy. It commonly asso- 

 ciates with the greater yellows-legs and 

 other species of waders, among which it 

 is the first to discover the approach of 

 danger, and it is the first to give warn- 

 ing. Its loiid notes are a signal for each 

 bird to seek safety in the manner peculiar 

 to its own kind, the Yellow-legs leaving 

 their associates and flying to other feed- 

 ing grounds. Because of this habit of 

 heralding danger, the bird of our illustra- 

 tion is called Tattler or Tell Tale by 

 sportsmen. 



In the following remarks, Mr. Langille 

 has well described the habits of the 

 Lesser Yellow-legs : "After describing- 

 several of their elegant circles, each keep- 

 ing his place in the finely-ordered ranks, 

 they lighted in the shallow water near a 

 thicket. I crept into the thicket, and, 

 crawling almost on hands and knees 

 behind a brush fence, when I supposed 

 myself near enough for a good shot, and 

 was peering cautiously around in order 

 to take aim from behind my screen, 

 before I could get my eye on one of the 

 number, I heard the ominous whistle — 

 the signal of danger — and awav the little 

 creatures were careering beyond shot- 

 range. I rose and watched the flock 

 until they were out of sight, studying 

 that whistle which had been given by the 

 sentinel so well on the alert, and which 

 they all seemed to comprehend in an 

 instant." The Lesser Yellow-legs is 

 more shy and much more active than its 

 greater relative which will often remain 

 motionless until fired at, or forced to 

 seek safety in flight. 



The Lesser Yellow-legs delights to 

 wade in shallow pools in which it seeks 

 its food of insect larvae and the smaller 

 crustaceans. Its nest is usually a mere 

 depression in the ground, with or with- 

 out a lining of a few dried leaves. Some 



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