Susan Kirby

Lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) are what Cornell Ornithology calls “marshpipers.” They are often seen in the New York area, probing the water for aquatic invertebrates. There are also greater yellowlegs, but the lesser yellowlegs is more closely related to willets than to the greater yellowlegs. These birds are considered “an Orange Alert Tipping Point species due to a population loss of more than 50% in the past 50 years and steep declines in the past decade” (All About Birds). I have also created a Yellowlegs page, since I can’t always distinguish between greater and lesser yellowlegs when I am at the shore.

Lesser Yellowlegs on the East Pond

I have had pretty good success photographing lesser yellowlegs at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, usually on the East Pond. I visited there on August 16, 2025, and was able to photograph some of these shorebirds.