Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

Introduction

Similar in size to a Redshank but more slender and graceful, there are a handful of records of this visitor from North America every year, mostly from August to October.

Both male and female Lesser Yellowlegs provide parental care to their young but the female tends to depart from the breeding area before the chicks can fly, leaving the male to defend the young until fledging.

Key Stats

Status

Rare

Weight

84g

Seasonality

<1%

BTO Records

8.4k records

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

No current data

No current data

No data

No current data

0% no change

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Least Concern

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Birds Directive Annex 1

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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UK (passage)

16 individuals (2021)

Source

BOU Category

Source

First Record*

Nottinghamshire, 1854

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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Population trends of this scarce species are not routinely monitored.

Distribution

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This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

These figures come from Bird Atlas 2007 and indicate how widespread a species is.

No. occupied in winter

% occupied in winter

0.3%

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Winter Distribution for Lesser Yellowlegs

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

Breeding Distribution for Lesser Yellowlegs

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

Distribution Change

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This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.

Seasonality

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Lesser Yellowlegs is a rare vagrant recorded sporadically throughout the year, though with slightly more regular occurrence in autumn. Some birds overwinter.

Weekly pattern of occurrence

The graph shows when the species is present in the UK, with taller bars indicating a higher likelihood of encountering the species in appropriate regions and habitats.

Phenology graph — Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about Lesser Yellowlegs movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Lesser Yellowlegs, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Lesser Yellowlegs

Classification and Codes

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Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Scientific name: Tringa flavipes
Authority: JF Gmelin, 1789

BTO 2-letter code: LY
BTO 5-letter code: LESYE
Euring code number: 5510

Alternate species names

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Catalan: gamba groga petita
Czech: vodouš žlutonohý
Danish: Lille Gulben
Dutch: Kleine Geelpootruiter
Estonian: kollajalg-tilder
Finnish: keltajalkaviklo
French: Petit Chevalier

German: Kleiner Gelbschenkel
Hungarian: sárgalábú cankó
Icelandic: Hrísastelkur
Irish: Mionladhrán Buí
Italian: Totano zampegialle minore
Latvian: mazais dzeltenstilbis
Lithuanian: geltonkojis tulikas
Norwegian: Gulbeinsnipe

Polish: brodziec zóltonogi
Portuguese: maçarico-de-perna-amarela / perna-amarela-pequeno
Slovak: kalužiak žltonohý
Slovenian: mali rumenonogi martinec
Spanish: Archibebe patigualdo chico
Swedish: mindre gulbena
Welsh: Melyngoes Bach

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

BTO

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

JNCC

RSPB

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