Willet

Tringa semipalmata

Scolopacidae

Willet on Plum Beach by Rhoidodendrites is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — An almost crow-sized shorebird

Willet Huron Wetland Management District by Sandra Uecker/USFWS Mountain Prairie is available through Public Domain. — Chunky body with thick long bill

Willet by Shinnecock inlet by Rhododendrites is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Usually solitary

Willet eating crab by Jessica D. Yarnell ©2011; permission required for use. — Forages for aquatic invertebrates like small crabs

Willet by Alex Gault/USFWS Midwest Region is available through Public Domain ... 5jun14 — Breeds in eastern coastal or western freshwater marshes

Willet bird (Tringa semipalmata) on Morro Strand State Beach, CA by Michael L. Baird is licensed under CC By 2.0. — Who's inconspicuous now?

Willet birding on the Osprey Cape May 6.19.21 by lwolfartist is licensed under CC BY 2.0. — Striking color pattern revealed in flight

willet on nest whitehall beach by Russ is licensed under CC BY 2.0. — Adult guarding nest site

Willet eggs in nest by Deirdre Robinson, Saltmarsh Sparrow Research Initiative; permission required for use. — Clutch of four eggs in ground nest

Willet hatchlings by Deirde Robinson, Saltmarsh Sparrow Research Initiative; permission required for use. — Hatchlings also well camouflaged

Willet chick foraging by Jessica D. Yarnell ©2011; permission required for use. — Recently hatched chick able to forage independently but ...

Willet parent and young by Harry Johnson — ... depends on adult for protection

Willets flashing wings by Steve Gosser ©2010; permission required for use — More social after breeding ...

Willet - Tringa semipalmata by EyeLoveBirds is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. — Migrating from Atlantic coast of U.S. to ...

Lone willet with marbled godwits, Washington coast by Jake Bonello/USFWS, Pacific Region is available through Public Domain. — Easily recognizable among migrating Marbled Godwits

Willet birding Wrightsville Beach by lwolfartist is licensed under CC BY 2.0. — Returns to breed at hatching site

Birdwatching records are available for Salter Grove from 2002 through mid 2025 but the Willet has only been sighted five times at Salter Grove, all before 2020. This large shorebird, not quite the size of a crow, prefers a coastal area with larger expanses of salt marsh vegetation and beach habitats than what the park has to offer.

Despite its large size, its mottled grayish brown plumage draws little attention against the muddy shorelines or marsh vegetation within the park. However, its presence is unmistakable as soon as its strongly marked black and white wings are flashed as it flies off, or when it makes its piercing "pill-will-willet" call.

The Willet nests in the salt marshes of Rhode Island and elsewhere along the Atlantic coast. Its wintering grounds stretches from the southeastern United States to as far south as Uruguay. A western subspecies of the Willet breeds in freshwater habitats and winters from northern California to Bolivia. These two subspecies show consistent differences in plumage, ecology, size, shape and calls, and may eventually be separated as full species pending eventual genetic analyses.

Historically, the Willet was considered a delicious addition to the dinner table. It was so abundant in southern New England that it was hunted for market. The demand was so great that by the late 1800's, it was only recorded as a migrant that was rare in the spring, and uncommon in the fall.

Since 1918, Willets as well as other birds subjected to hunting pressure have been protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Breeding populations have reappeared across southern New England but probably will never approach historic abundance.

Studies of marked birds have shown that the Willet tends to breed where it had previously bred or hatched, suggesting that it would be particularly vulnerable to changes in its nesting habitat. Coastal development, climate change, and sea level rise have already reduced suitable breeding habitat for the Saltmarsh Sparrow, another salt marsh specialist that is considered endangered.

Surprisingly, the Willet is not currently considered a species of concern in Rhode Island. Unlike the Saltmarsh Sparrow, it nests in the higher reaches of saltmarsh vegetation and thus is less vulnerable to extreme tidal flooding events. Data from two Rhode Island breeding bird surveys (1982-1987 and 2015-2019) documented that the number of nests has increased from 1 to 12 within a span of about 30 years.

For more information:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Willet
https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/willet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willet
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/willet
https://www.fws.gov/law/migratory-bird-treaty-act-1918
Clarkson, C. E., Osenkowski, J. E., Steen, V. A., Duhaime, R. J., and Paton, W.C. (2023) The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Rhode Island. Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Fish and Wildlife. pp. 132-133.
Howe, Jr., R.H. and Sturtevant, E. (1899) The Birds of Rhode Island. p. 52.