Birds of North America
Puzzle 60 · Along Beaches and Mudflats · Page 86 in print
Willet
A female Willet may leave the breeding territory as much as two weeks before her mate. The male stays to care for their young.
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Cordgrass
A marsh plant that can surround an eastern nest.
Fiddler Crabs
An important eastern prey.
Grass Shelter
Vegetation helps conceal the nest selected by the female.
Male Care
The male remains with chicks after the female leaves.
Mole Crabs
A crab prey recorded for eastern birds.
Night Foraging
The birds can search for prey after dark.
Paddling
Occasional swimming while pursuing fish or crabs.
Pothole Ponds
Inland wetland habitat used by western breeding birds.
Sagebrush
A shrub near some western nesting sites.
Saltgrass
Vegetation near some eastern nests.
Saltmarsh
Coastal breeding habitat used by eastern birds.
Sensitive Tip
The bill’s sensitive end helps detect prey.
Tidal Flats
Exposed coastal habitat used outside the breeding season.
Trial Scrapes
Nest depressions made by males for females to evaluate.
Sources
- Willet: Life HistoryCornell Lab of Ornithology