Pl. XCI
The Birds · Plate XCI
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Scolopacidae · Taxon 144491
| Length | 36–40 cm (14.2–15.7 in) |
| Wingspan | 69–76 cm (27–30 in) |
| Weight | 200–320 g (7.1–11.3 oz) |
Field marks
- Large, robust shorebird with a bulky body
- Long, straight, heavy dark bill, distinctly longer than the head
- Long, sturdy blue-gray legs
- Gray-brown upperparts with paler underparts; breeding plumage is more mottled and barred
- Bold black-and-white wing stripe exposed in flight
- Short, squared tail and broad, rounded wings
HabitatOpen beaches, mudflats, marshes, tidal estuaries, bayshores, and rocky coasts; breeding habitat also includes freshwater marshes, wet meadows, and grasslands near shallow wetlands.
BehaviorWalks deliberately along wet shorelines and in shallow water, probing mud or sand with its bill or picking aquatic invertebrates from the surface; often forages alone and gives loud, ringing calls when disturbed or in flight.
Palette
gray-brownsoft graywhiteblackblue-gray