# Willet

Scientific name: Tringa semipalmata

Bird group: [sandpiper](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/sandpiper)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/120/Willet

## Identification

The willet (Tringa semipalmata), formerly in the monotypic genus Catoptrophorus as Catoptrophorus semipalmatus, is a large shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It is a relatively large and robust sandpiper, and is the largest of the species called "shanks" in the genus Tringa. Its closest relative is the lesser yellowlegs, a much smaller bird with a very different appearance apart from the fine, clear, and dense pattern of the neck, which both species show in breeding plumage. It breeds in North America and the West Indies and winters in southern North America, Central America, the West Indies and South America.


## Distribution and habitat

The Willet is widespread in the Western Hemisphere including 
the West Indies, where it is 
a year-round resident in The 
Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and 
Cayman Islands, particularly 
from August to November when 
breeding resident populations 
are joined by migrants from 
North America (Raffaele and 
others 1998). It is observed 
mostly from August to April 
on Puerto Rico (Biaggi 1997), 
regularly in the municipality of 
Cabo Rojo (Oberle 2018). It also 
occurs on Vieques, where it is 
a rare passage migrant during 
fall, late winter, and spring, and 
is extremely rare in summer 
(Gemmill 2015). This species habitat includes mostly tidal 
fl ats, edges of both saltwater 
and freshwater bodies (Raffaele 
and others 1998), mudfl ats, 
mangroves (Oberle 2018), and 
beaches (Biaggi 1997). The atlas 
fieldwork yielded a total of 23 
records within 15 hexagons or 3 
percent of the 479 total hexagons 
with all records occurring in 
coastal hexagons (see map). 
Of the 15 hexagons where this 
species was found, breeding met 
the atlas definition of confirmed 
in 20 percent (three) of the 
hexagons, probable in 7 percent 
(one), and possible in 27 percent 
(four), while the species was 
observed in 47 percent (seven) 
of the hexagons but without 
evidence of breeding (see map). Willet distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in Puerto Rico. 
Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.       111Willet/Playero Aliblanco

## Breeding

The Willets nest is a slightly lined concavity in the sand, 
sometimes with dried weeds in 
the center (Biaggi 1997, Raffaele 
and others 1998). Previously 
published reports indicate that 
breeding occurs from April to 
July (Raffaele and others 1998). 
Atlas results show that this 
species breeding season extends 
mostly from May to August and 
to a lesser extent in February, 
with the most breeding activity during July (see chart). Results 
show that this species breeds 
within the subtropical dry forest 
life zone (100 percent of the 
hexagons) on the south coast of 
Puerto Rico (see table and map).

## Conservation

The current global population trend of the Willet is described 
as stable, although some 
populations have unknown 
trends (Wetlands International 
2012). This species is currently listed as a species of least 
concern by the IUCN (BirdLife 
International 2016). Locally, 
this species is not listed in any 
of the threatened categories of 
PRDNER and USFWS. In Puerto 
Rico, the Willet has a protected 
habitat in land of 20 percent or 
38 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons where evidence 
of breeding was found for this 
species (191 km2).

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_120_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_120_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.