Sandpipers, Phalaropes

Willet, Catoptrophorus semipalmatus

Family Scolopacidae (Sandpipers, Phalaropes)

Size: 15"

Season: Summer

Habitat: Saltwater and freshwater wetlands, coastal beaches

The willet is a heavy shorebird with a stout bill and conspicuous black-and-white wing markings in flight. Plumage is overall mocha brown above and pale below with extensive mottling in the breeding season. It has white lores and eye rings, and its plain gray legs are thick and sturdy. Found singly or in scattered flocks, it feeds by picking or probing for crabs, crustaceans, and worms in the mud and sand. Its call is a loud wil-let, often uttered in flight. The summer breeding adult is illustrated.