Willet

Belongs to the family Scolopacidae, presenting a robust and stocky build that distinguishes it from other medium-to-large shorebirds. It reaches a body length of 33 to 41 centimeters, a wingspan of 70 to 80 centimeters, and a body weight ranging between 200 and 330 grams. The non-breeding plumage is characterized by an overall plain, uniform grayish-brown coloration above and a pale white underside. Its most striking diagnostic feature, however, is only revealed during flight: a highly contrasting, broad black-and-white wing pattern that spans the primary and secondary feathers. The bill is long, straight, and remarkably thick, with a dark grayish-black tone, complemented by long, sturdy legs of a distinctive bluish-gray hue. During the breeding season, the adult acquires a heavily barred and speckled plumage with dark brown, black, and gray markings covering the chest and back.

Geographical distribution: Breeds across North America, divided into two distinct subspecies with separate migratory flyways. The eastern subspecies breeds along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Nova Scotia to Texas and parts of the Caribbean, whereas the western subspecies nests in the interior freshwater wetlands of western Canada and the northwestern United States. During the northern winter, both populations migrate southwards, wintering along the coastal regions of California, the Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and extensively throughout South America, reaching as far south as Peru and Chile on the Pacific coast, and Brazil on the Atlantic side.

Habitat: Strongly associated with coastal and transitional aquatic ecosystems during most of the year. During migration and wintering, it primarily occupies estuaries, salt marshes, sandy beaches, intertidal mudflats, and mangrove forests. During the breeding season, the western population shows a strong preference for interior freshwater marshes, wet prairies, and alkaline flats of the Great Plains, while the eastern population remains strictly tied to coastal salt marshes and sandy barrier islands.

Feeding: Sustains an opportunistic and mainly carnivorous diet composed of a wide variety of benthic invertebrates. It utilizes its sensitive, robust bill to probe deeply into mud or sand, or to pick prey directly from the surface. Key dietary items include fiddler crabs, small crabs, marine worms, mollusks, aquatic insects, and occasionally small fish or aquatic plant seeds when primary food sources are scarce.

Behavior: Renowned for being extremely noisy, conspicuous, and highly territorial, especially when defending breeding territories. It produces a loud, piercing, and repetitive call that is a signature sound of American coastal marshes. It frequently perches on high vantage points such as fence posts, rocks, or shoreline vegetation to monitor its surroundings. It displays intense antipredator behavior, actively mobbing and performing distraction displays to deter potential ground or aerial threats. It is a medium-to-long-distance migrant that typically travels in loose, small flocks.

Nesting: Commences with the establishment of breeding territories where the pair selects a nesting site. The nest is a shallow scrape on the ground, masterfully concealed among dense grasses, sedges, or glasswort. This depression is lined with dry grasses, leaves, and occasionally small shell fragments. The female typically lays a clutch of 4 eggs, which are olive-buff to yellowish, covered with dark brown spots. Both parents share incubation duties equally for a period of 22 to 29 days. The chicks are highly precocial, leaving the nest within hours of hatching to forage independently under parental guidance.

Conservation status: Listed as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Nevertheless, localized populations are experiencing declines due to coastal development, habitat fragmentation, pollution of wetlands, and the rising sea levels associated with climate change, which threaten its vital coastal foraging and nesting grounds.