Willet Photo Gallery
Breeding adult (Eastern)
Large, stocky shorebird with long legs and a thick, straight bill. Breeding birds in the East have heavy barring on the breast and heavy mottling on the back.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, May 17, 2017Breeding adult (Western)
Large, stocky shorebird with long legs and a thick, straight bill. Breeding birds in the West have lighter barring on the breast and lighter mottling on the back.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryTexas, May 02, 2019Nonbreeding adult
Found along open beaches, bayshores, marshes, mudflats, and rocky coastal zones. Often sleeps with its bill tucked under its wing.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 18, 2011Not all videos have soundNonbreeding adult
Large shorebird with a long, straight bill. Nonbreeding birds are grayish brown overall with few markings.
© Allee Forsberg / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, May 19, 2015Breeding adult (Eastern)
Birds in flight have a distinctive black-and-white wing pattern.
© Samuel Paul Galick / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, May 05, 2013Juvenile (Western)
Large, stocky shorebird. Juveniles in the West are grayer overall than those in the East. They also tend to be larger, but some overlap in size exists.
© Shawn Billerman / Macaulay LibraryWyoming, July 24, 2014Juvenile (Eastern)
Juveniles in the East are browner overall than juveniles in the West. Eastern birds tend to be smaller, but there is some overlap.
© Alan Kneidel / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, September 10, 2020Nonbreeding adult
Plain brownish gray shorebird often found along beaches and rocky coasts during migration and winter months.
© Brad Rangell / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 10, 2016Nonbreeding adult
During the winter found on beaches and rocky coasts, as well as mudflats and marshes.
© Mary Harrell / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, November 16, 2016Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Sandpipers and Allies(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Scolopacidae)
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