Outdoor Ontario

Photography => Ontario Birds => Topic started by: Whittam on June 06, 2010, 07:22:53 PM

Title: Greater Yellowlegs (or maybe Lesser!)
Post by: Whittam on June 06, 2010, 07:22:53 PM

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v680/whittam/DSC_0138a.jpg)

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Post by: thouc on June 06, 2010, 08:03:34 PM

Very nice picture.

I believe it's a Lesser Yellowlegs as the bill looks fairly thin and straight and the throat and breast look finely streaked (as opposed to heavily streaked for a Greater Yellowlegs).

/Thomas

Title: Greater Yellowlegs (or maybe Lesser!)
Post by: Whittam on June 06, 2010, 08:33:40 PM

Hi Thomas,  you may well be right.  I always have trouble with these two.  I thought I heard the 3 note call of a Greater YL.  What do you think about the bill length.  Seems longer than the width of the head vs a Lesser LY.  Comments?  I must admit the bill seems very straight with no upturn.  All comments welcome!
Cheers Terry

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Post by: thouc on June 06, 2010, 09:41:29 PM

My first impression when I saw the picture was Lesser, but you are right that the bill is quite long for a Lesser.  A very clear, close-up picture and still difficult...

The Lesser should have the same bill length as the head and Greater 1.5 times the head. This one has about 1.25 times!