Willet

Catoptrophorus semipalmatus

The willet is a large, grayish-brown sandpiper with:

• A long, straight bill.
• A black and white pattern on the wings.
• Bluish-gray legs.

Willets can grow to 17 inches.

Where does the willet live?

Willets can be found from spring through fall along the Bay’s salt marshes and tidal flats, particularly along the eastern shores of Maryland and Virginia. They often bob along the water’s surface close to the shoreline. In winter, willets move to the Atlantic coast.

What does the willet eat?

Willets feed on small fish and invertebrates, such as worms, crabs, mollusks and insects.

What does the willet sound like?

Willets make a noisy pill-will-willet sound.

Where does the willet nest and breed?

Willets nest in the tidal salt marshes of the lower Eastern Shore from mid-May to late July.

• The female lays an average of four olive-colored eggs into the nest, a grass-covered depression in the marsh ground.
• The male incubates the eggs during nighttime.
• About two to three weeks after the chicks hatch, the female abandons the nest. The male remains for about two more weeks to care for them.

Other facts about the willet:

• Willets tend to be nervous, often sounding an alarm call at the first sign of disruption.