Birds
Willet
Tringa semipalmata · also called willets
Standing motionless on a mudflat, a willet looks almost forgettable among the region’s shorebirds, right up until it takes flight and flashes a bold black-and-white wing pattern that most observers never would have guessed was hiding underneath such plain folded feathers.
Overview
The willet, Tringa semipalmata, is a large shorebird that breeds across interior wetlands and coastal marshes in North America and winters along coastlines from the southern United States to South America. Its dramatic transformation between plain standing plumage and bold flight pattern, along with its aggressive nest defence, make it one of the more behaviourally and visually surprising shorebirds in the Americas.
Two birds in one plain package
A willet standing still gives almost no hint of what it’s hiding, an unremarkable grey-brown bird that only reveals its most striking feature the moment it decides to fly, turning identification from guesswork into an easy call.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable wetland and coastal habitat throughout its breeding and wintering range in the Americas.
Willet: common questions
Why does the willet look so different in flight compared with standing still?
A willet appears plain grey-brown and unremarkable while standing or walking, but the instant it takes flight, bold black-and-white wing stripes become visible, a dramatic transformation caused by wing feathers that are hidden from view while folded and only revealed once the bird spreads its wings.
Are all willets the same, or are there different types?
A willet exists as two recognisably different populations, one breeding in interior grassland and prairie wetlands across the North American interior and the other along Atlantic and Gulf coast marshes, with some differences in overall size and bill proportions between the two.
Is the willet aggressive toward other animals?
Yes, the willet is notably aggressive in defending its nesting territory, often mobbing and diving at intruders, including much larger birds and even mammals, that wander too close to an active nest.
Where does the willet live?
The willet breeds across interior wetland habitat and coastal marshes in North America and winters along coastlines from the southern United States to South America, making it a widespread presence across a broad range of wetland and coastal environments.