The Willet, Tringa semipalmata (formerly Catoptrophorus semipalmatus: Pereira & Baker, 2005; Banks et al., 2006), is a large shorebird in the sandpiper family. It is a well-sized and stout scolopacid, the largest of the shanks. Its closest relative is the Lesser Yellowlegs,
a much smaller bird with a very different appearance apart from the
fine, clear and dense pattern of the neck which both species show in
breeding plumage.
Adults have gray legs and a long, straight, dark and stout bill. The
body is dark gray above and light underneath. The tail is white with a
dark band at the end. The distinctive black and white pattern of the
wings is a common sight along many North American coastal beaches.
A drawing of a willet in flight showing the bold underwing pattern
Two subspecies (which may well be different species[citation needed]) have very different breeding habitats and ranges. The Eastern Willet breeds in coastal saltmarshes from Nova Scotia
to Mexico and the Caribbean. It winters on the Atlantic coast of South
America. The Western Willet breeds in freshwater prairie marshes in
western North America.
It winters on both coasts, from the mid-Atlantic states south to at
least Brazil on the Atlantic, and from Oregon south to Peru on the
Pacific.
Willets nest on the ground, usually in well-hidden locations in
short grass, often in colonies. These birds forage on mudflats or in
shallow water, probing or picking up food by sight. They mainly eat
insects, crustaceans and marine worms, but also eat some plant material.
The willet's population declined sharply due to hunting in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Their population has since
increased, but they are still considered at risk, especially in light
of continued habitat loss.
