Bird
Bird
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
The Willet is a large, plain-looking shorebird transformed in flight by bold black-and-white wing stripes, a common non-breeding visitor to Trinidad's coastal mudflats and beaches during the northern winter.
The Willet is a large, plain-looking shorebird transformed in flight by bold black-and-white wing stripes, a common non-breeding visitor to Trinidad's coastal mudflats and beaches during the northern winter.
Identification
A large, stocky sandpiper around 33 to 41 cm long, with plain grey-brown upperparts and whitish underparts in non-breeding plumage, and a long, straight, heavy bill. In flight, striking black-and-white wing stripes are revealed, a dramatic contrast to its otherwise nondescript standing appearance and the most reliable identification feature.
Migration
A non-breeding migrant present in Trinidad roughly from July to April, having bred in coastal marshes and prairie wetlands of North America. It winters along coasts from the southern United States through the Caribbean and South America, and is largely absent from Trinidad outside this non-breeding season.
Status in T&T
A fairly common non-breeding visitor to coastal mudflats, beaches, and mangrove edges across Trinidad, generally seen singly or in small groups. Not threatened, and it is protected as a migratory species under the Conservation of Wildlife Act.
Threats
- Loss and disturbance of coastal mudflat habitat
