Appearance

Sexes similar in all plumages. The following descriptions based on Eastern Willet (C. s. semipalmatus), except as noted.

Hatchlings

Downy young dull grayish white or pale brownish gray above, tinged with pale brown, coarsely and irregularly marbled with dusky; forepart and sides of forehead plain dull whitish; sides of head and underparts dull white; dusky line from eye to bill; two dusky lines behind eye, upper line to mottling of occiput and lower, longer, narrower line to nape (Ridgway 1919).

Juvenal Plumage

Acquired by complete Prejuvenal (postnatal) molt with sequence scapulars, back and wings, breast, and crown, ending with neck, rump, and tail; molt begins when half grown until Jul (Bent 1929).

Juvenal plumage similar to Definitive Basic plumage, with the following exceptions. General coloration on nonwhite areas more brownish gray, and grayish feathers without dark shafts, except on back and scapulars. Rump same color as back (not darker) and portions of upper tail-coverts tinged brownish. Back-feathers with dark subterminal margins. Scapulars barred (on margin only) dark gray and off-white to buff. On wing, innermost secondaries, innermost greater-coverts, and lesser- to median-coverts with dark shaft, dark subterminal margin, and buffy-white outer margin, or (on some longer feathers) dark barring with buffy-white intervening areas. Darker (more central) rectrices with areas between dark bars more brownish.

Paulson (1993) has also noted that the white wing-stripe averages wider in juvenile Western Willet than in adults.

Basic I Plumage

Prebasic I (Postjuvenal) molt incomplete; includes body plumage and somewing-coverts, but Juvenal “flight feathers” (Palmer 1967: 205), and many wing-coverts (Palmer 1967, Chandler 1989) retained. Uncertain whether “flight feathers” includes rectrices in this case. Basic I plumage acquired by early fall (Palmer 1967). Some individuals still completing Prebasic molt when they arrive in ne. Venezuela in fall (McNeil 1970).

Basic I plumage similar to Definitive Basic Plumage, except for presence of retained Juvenal flight feathers and wing-coverts, the latter of which appear comparatively worn (Chandler 1989).

Alternate I Plumage

Prealternate I molt very poorly described; includes body plumage (Palmer 1967) but does not include remiges; molt occurs Mar–May (Bent 1929).

Incoming Alternate I feathers have been described as intermediate in character between Definitive Basic and Definitive Alternate feathers, and Alternate I plumage has been described as “some sort of gray (not towards brownish)” (Palmer 1967: 205). In Western Willet, Alternate I plumage has been described as generally resembling Definitive Basic plumage (Paulson 1993). More information needed.

Definitive Basic Plumage

Acquired by complete Prebasic molt, apparently between late Jul and Sep (Bent 1929). Previous descriptions of this species’ Definitive plumages are incomplete and somewhat conflicting. Thus new descriptions of these plumages have been written for this account based on examination of recent specimens. Because Basic-plumaged adult specimens of Eastern Willet could not be obtained for examination, the following description of Definitive Basic plumage is based on a series of specimens of Western Willet (C. s. inornatus) taken in Bodega Bay (Marin Co.), CA. Definitive Basic plumages of Eastern and Western willets probably very similar, but that of Eastern Willet remains inadequately studied.

A uniformly grayish plumage. Head, neck, back, and scapulars warm medium gray, becoming slightly variegated with white on sides of head and neck and on lower neck. Forehead-, back-, and scapular-feathers also with narrow dark shafts. Head with white supraloral streak, narrow white eye-crescents, and white chin and throat. Rump-feathers lead gray (slightly darker and less warm than anterior upperparts) with dark shafts and slightly paler ends. Proximal upper tail-coverts white and irregularly barred with dark gray merging with rump color, while distal upper tail-coverts heavily variegated with gray merging with gray tail. Rectrices warm medium gray with dark shaft at center of tail but gradually becoming white distally. Gradual transition also between central feathers, which have subterminal margin of dark-gray variegations and outermost feathers which are variegated throughout with gray. Sides and flanks same color as back, and gradually merging (often as freckling) with white breast and belly, although a grayish wash continues across much of breast. Breast-, side-, and flank-feathers also with dark shafts. Under tail-coverts lightly freckled and barred with gray. Wing as in Definitive Alternate plumage except all inner wing-feathers, including tertials and next 2 innermost secondaries, innermost greater-coverts, and all lesser through median-coverts, warm medium gray (same color as back) with dark shafts, and (on inner and outer portion of leading edge of wing) darker centers. Underwing surface as in Alternate plumage, except innermost 5 secondaries plain gray.

Definitive Alternate Plumage

Definitive Prealternate molt incomplete. As indicated by distinct changes in color and pattern of feathers, this molt includes most to all body plumage, all lesser and median wing-coverts, all 3 tertials and next 2 innermost secondaries, and presumably all rectrices. Exact timing and sequence of molt undescribed, but Definitive Alternate plumage completed by about Mar (Palmer 1967).

Head and neck very dark brownish gray, becoming slightly darker (almost blackish) on forehead and crown and streaked with dull white, most narrowly on forehead and crown (where streaks become pale brownish gray). Broad, white sup-raloral line, chin, and throat largely white and unstreaked. Back- and scapular-feathers same color as crown, with pale brownish gray tips and (on larger feathers) incomplete pale brownish gray bars (bars interrupted by dark feather center). Longest 2 or 3 scapulars pale brownish gray with margins barred blackish. Rump-feathers medium lead gray (darker and less warm in tone than back) with slightly darker subterminal bar. Upper tail-coverts white. Central proximal-coverts (nearest rump) with broad, dark-brownish gray bars that narrow distally. Central distal-coverts narrowly barred and variegated with dark brownish gray. Rectrices pale brownish gray at center of tail, but gradually become white on outer portion of tail. Gradual transition also between central feathers, which have dark shaft streaks and dark barring, and outermost feathers, which are variegated throughout with gray. All underparts below breast white. All feathers except center of breast, thighs, and under tail-coverts, with slight buffy tinge, dark brownish-gray shaft streaks, and 1–3 narrow, slightly V-shaped dark-brownish bars (apex of V points distally). Dark markings gradually become broader and more spotlike on upper breast where they merge with dark, coarse streaking on neck. Sides of rump and distal under tail-coverts with similar (but reduced) pattern of dark bars as flanks. Overall heaviness of barring on underparts varies individually. On wing, primary-coverts and their overlying coverts very dark brownish gray (appearing blackish). Lesser wing-coverts medium gray with darker centers. Median and innermost greater-coverts medium gray with very dark brownish-gray shaft streaks and bars and dull whitish margins. Intervening coverts intermediate between lesser and median-coverts. Remaining greater-coverts medium gray with white margins with dark freck-ling (except at tip and outermost margin). Primaries white on basal portion of exposed feather and very dark brownish gray (blackish) on distal portion (white portion more extensive on inner web of outer primaries but more extensive on outer web of inner primaries). Inner primaries narrowly tipped white and outermost primary with outer web entirely black. Inner secondaries (except innermost feathers described above) white with narrow, dark shaft streaks and with increasing amounts of very dark brownish-gray internal markings outwardly so that outermost secondaries with very dark brownish gray on outer web and inner portion of inner web and narrow white edge (considerable individual variation in amount of dark markings on secondaries, at least in Western Willet). White on secondaries, tips of greater-coverts and base of primaries forms prominent broad white strips across open wing. On underwing, tertials and next 2 innermost secondaries medium brownish gray barred with dark gray. All remaining secondaries white. Primaries white with dark-gray ends. Greater and primary under wing-coverts dark gray with white bases on outer greater and inner primary-coverts. All remaining under wing-coverts dark gray with longer feathers tipped white, and coverts along leading edge of wing becoming white.

Bill And Gape

Described as blackish for “adults” (Ridgway 1919). Bill color varies with age, race, and season: from all black to black with flesh-colored base, to blue-gray with black tip (Wilds 1983).

Iris

Described as dark brown (Ridgway 1919); for newly hatched young “very dark brown, almost black, similar to those of adults” (Wilcox 1980: 257).

Legs And Feet

Described as grayish (Ridgway 1919).