Willet
A species of Tringa Scientific name : Tringa semipalmata Genus : Tringa
Willet, A species of Tringa
Botanical name: Tringa semipalmata
Genus: Tringa
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Description People often ask General Info
Description
The willet is a large, stocky, conspicuous shorebird, able to hunt during daytime and night thanks to the ability to sense prey by the tip of its bill. Besides its appearance, it is known for its loud, piercing voice. Once considered a popular game animal, the population significantly dropped in the 19th century, although it has recovered since the hunting ban enacted in 1918.
Size
33 - 41 cm
Life Expectancy
10 years
Nest Placement
Ground
Clutch Size
4 eggs
Incubation Period
1 brood
Number of Broods
22 - 29 days
Nestling Period
1 - 2 days
Feeding Habits
Willet's diet includes aquatic beetles, fish, spiders, crabs, worms, clams, and other invertebrates. They feed on insects, marine worms, crustaceans, small mollusks, sometimes small fish, and plant material such as grass, shoots, and seeds across various habitats.
Habitat
Willet predominantly inhabits coastal and inland wetland habitats, including open beaches, bayshores, saltmarshes, mudflats, and rocky coastal zones. During breeding, eastern subspecies prefer coastal saltmarshes, barrier islands, and beaches, whereas western individuals choose freshwater prairie marshes, sloughs, and wetlands far inland. In terms of climate, willet is flexible, occurring in areas with varied weather conditions across their extensive migratory range. They are typically found at low altitudes where their preferred wetland vegetation is abundant. In winter, both subspecies favor coastal environments, often observed on both sandy and rocky shores.
Nest Behavior
Willet pairs search for nesting sites together. The male begins the construction which the female then camouflages with local materials. Nest building, egg-laying, and parental care timings are specific to region and environment.
Nest Characteristics
Willet's nest is located on the ground near water in either native grasslands or by sagebrush, cordgrass, saltgrass, beachgrass, and on sand dunes. The nest is a depression scraped by the male, lined with fine grasses, vegetation, and sometimes pebbles, typically over 6 inches across and 2 inches deep.
Dite type
Aquatic invertebrate eater
People often ask
General Info
Sounds
Call
Recording location: Mexico
Behavior
The willet exhibits versatile feeding behaviors, foraging by day or night along shorelines, where it employs its sensitive bill to catch worms, snails, insects, sand crabs, and shellfish. Paddling in shallow waters also enables it to prey on small fish and crabs. Its distinct pill-will-willet call announces its breeding season, signaling territorial and mating rituals. Pairs of willet show fidelity to both partners and nesting sites, often staying together for years. They display a unique territorial defense that may include a display walk or direct confrontation. Both parents participate in incubation and chick-rearing, although females may leave early, entrusting the males to complete the parenting duties.
Distribution Area
There are no documented records of this taxon wintering in the United States. The willet is a very rare vagrant to Europe with records from the Azores, mainland Portugal, France, Norway and Finland. The Portuguese record from Alcochete near Lisbon on 29 April 2009 showed characteristics of the Eastern willet. 
Species Status
The willet is still common in some parts of its range despite an apparent decline since the 1960s and it is considered to be a species which is at risk of becoming threatened or endangered without conservation action. The passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918 protected the willet from intensive exploitation by hunters for food and allowed its numbers to rebound to present levels.
Scientific Classification
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