Lesser Yellowlegs, Loud and Proud

BirdNote®
Lesser Yellowlegs, Loud and Proud
Written by Conor Gearin

This is BirdNote.

The competition for loudest bird is a crowded field. But when the shorebirds called Lesser Yellowlegs sense a threat to their nest, they’ll put up an unforgettable racket to drive the danger away.

    [Lesser Yellowlegs calls]

Smaller and with a shorter bill than the Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs have a personality all their own. Unlike most shorebirds, they sing to attract mates while flying or perching up in a tree like a songbird.

    [Lesser Yellowlegs song]

Although they’re widespread in North and South America, Lesser Yellowlegs have lost over half their numbers in the last 50 years. They’re named a “tipping point” species in the latest State of the Birds report, meaning they’re a common bird that’s at risk of a big decline in the coming years.

Lesser Yellowlegs face several challenges, including loss of habitat and the use of agricultural chemicals in areas where they stop during migration and spend the winter. Oil and gas development as well as climate change threatens their northern breeding grounds.   And they’re hunted in some Caribbean and South American countries.

That means protecting wetlands, addressing climate change, and using sustainable farming practices can all help make sure that this species stays common, loud and proud throughout the Americas.

    [Lesser Yellowlegs calls]

For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.

This show is brought to you by Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture, which works to ensure wild birds thrive in abundant and diverse habitats.

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Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Lesser Yellowlegs ML69370581 recorded by Justin Saunders, and Lesser Yellowlegs ML105765 recorded by Geoffrey A. Keller.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2024 BirdNote February 2024
Narrator: Ariana Remmel

ID# LEYE-01-2024-02-20    LEYE-01

References:
https://whsrn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/conservationplan_leye_v1.0…
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lesser_Yellowlegs/lifehistory