NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Willet
Tringa semipalmata (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The willet (Tringa semipalmata) 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.
Wikipedia contributors, Willet; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T01:20:56.034522+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Tringa semipalmata (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
- Name authority
- (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
- Common name
- Willet
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Tringa
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderCharadriiformes
- familyScolopacidae Rafinesque, 1815
- genusTringa Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesTringa semipalmata (J. F. Gmelin, 1789)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Tringa. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipes (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Nordmann's GreenshankTringa guttifer (Nordmann, 1835) | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Common GreenshankTringa nebularia (Gunnerus, 1767) | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Solitary SandpiperTringa solitaria A. Wilson, 1813 | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis (Bechstein, 1803) | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleuca (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gray-tailed TattlerTringa brevipes (Vieillot, 1816) | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus (Pallas, 1764) | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Wood SandpiperTringa glareola Linnaeus, 1758 | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Wandering TattlerTringa incana (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Green SandpiperTringa ochropus Linnaeus, 1758 | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Common RedshankTringa totanus (Linnaeus, 1758) | ScolopacidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Middle America
North America
Oceania
South America
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=824147 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:TNPZM. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.