In June, we’re celebrating beach birds! We need YOU to help protect beach birds and their babies. Together, we can defend an important ecosystem that affects many birds and animals. Learn more about our month-long celebration of beach birds and how YOU can help on our website!
Today we’re profiling the Willet. This large shorebird gets its name from the piercing, ringing “pill-will-willet” call. The 15” Willet is often confused with the Greater Yellowlegs, but don’t be fooled -- the grey legs, thicker bill, and bold black and white stripe down their wings set these two apart. And, when in doubt, you can be almost certain that if it’s feeding in the surf, it’s a Willet.
Willets are a cautious conservation success story! In the early 1900s, Willets were extremely rare north of Virginia due to excessive game hunting. In 1918, laws were passed banning market hunting of migratory birds. Today, the Willet populations are thriving. While hunters no longer threaten Willets, climate change and rising sea levels might cause them to lose their favorite locations for feeding and breeding. We need to be ever vigilant and find new ways to protect these beautiful birds.
How can I spot a Willet?
The best way to spot a Willet is to look for the black and white stripe running down each wing. Whether the large, coastal bird is sporting its winter grey coloring or its brown plumage during the breeding season, the wing stripes are visible. You can also spot the Willet by its large, stocky build, long, thick bill, and grey legs. Experts say the Willet is a great bird to learn to spot because it will serve as a building block for identifying more coastal birds! Both its size and shape serve as markers against which to compare other species for identification.
Click here to listen to the Willet’s varied calls in action, from the distinctive “will-will-willet” to its softer “kuk-kuk.”
[AUDIO– http://birds.audubon.org/birds/willet]
Where can I find Willets in North Carolina?
Eastern Willets favor Carolina coasts and marshes for breeding. They are year-round residents in North Carolina. During the spring and summer months they can be found breeding on beaches and marsh islands, and during migration and winter, flocks feed and roost together on the beach and around inlets. If you want to spot Willets this summer than you’re in luck, they are found all along the coast. Because they do not breeding in colonies, there are no large concentrations in any one place. However, they can be seen at:
- The south end of Wrightsville Beach
- Natural areas most barrier islands
- Around inlets such as New Topsail Inlet in Pender County
What do they eat?
Because Willets use the sensitive tip of their bills to search for food, the stocky birds are able to eat during the night and daytime. You will often spot these birds close to the water where they are scavenging for small crabs, worms and various invertebrates.
How do they raise their young?
After arriving at a breeding area, the males will choose a nest location and kicking out a depression in the sand. Both parents work together to line the nest with shells and grass, and incubate around four olive-buff eggs.
After hatching, chicks are able to leave the nest and hide themselves in the marsh grass. This is great for avoiding predators, but it does make it difficult for scientists to study their activity and habits.
If you are Willet watching along the Outer Banks this summer, be aware the birds are highly territorial of their breeding and feeding grounds. The males are very vocal and will boldly defend their territory with a screeching call. These birds are also great actors! To protect vulnerable babies, parents will pretend to have a broken wing to draw attention to themselves and away from the nest!
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