Saltmarsh Willet Willet in breeding plumage – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/640, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
I’ve had the good fortune to photograph both the Saltmarsh and Prairie Willets in breeding plumage in Florida and in Utah and Montana.
The image above shows the Saltmarsh Willet; Tringa semipalmata, in breeding plumage. This bird and another successfully reared young at Fort De Soto’s north beach in 2009. This willet was perched on a White Mangrove on June 21, 2009.
Prairie Willet in breeding plumage – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
This image shows the Prairie Willet; Tringa inornata, in breeding plumage perched on rabbitbrush on Antelope Island State Park on June 6, 2012.
It is difficult to see the differences in the two subspecies but close observation shows that the bill of the Saltmarsh is thicker than the Prairie and the bill is slightly longer. The plumage patterns are also slightly different plus the white around the eye of the Prairie seems more pronounced.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Prairie Willet photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here to see more of my Saltmarsh Willet photos plus facts and information about this species.
Update: Willets were split into two species in October 2026, Eastern willets are now Saltmarsh Willets, Tringa semipalmata. Western willets are now Prairie Willets, Tringa inornata. This post has been updated to reflect those changes.
Mia:
Thanks for posting this. I wasn’t sure how to distinguish the two.
The photos do a good job of illustrating the differences.
Dave
Dave, thanks for commenting on this post and the images.
Great comparison, those slender bills are a key to ID, and it drove me crazy with the fish crow. I like the leaves on the first one and the bush on the 2nd.
Maria, with the Fish versus American Crow often times the call is the best key for ID. Thanks for commenting.
Both are great images. I noticed the thicker bill of the western right away-nice of you to confirm that for me!
Thank you Julie!
There’s not enough detail in these photos 😉
😉 I’ll try harder next time Stu!
A brilliant bird, cheers Mia for a bird that we don’t get here.
Thanks Bob, they are a fascinating bird.
Beautiful!
Thank you much Beverly!
Oh sharp! I love how the Eastern bird is perched, but gotta say our Western Willet is prettier 🙂
Thank you Laurence. I’m torn, I think they are both beautiful.
The under belly of the western seems to cover fully while the eastern has some white at the bottom. You have to wonder why that is. Is it climate? Love these Mia. Carol
Thanks Carol, I agree about the belly coloring.