Keeping warm - Western Willet
Birds like this willet stand on one leg because they are cold and keeping one leg tucked up underneath their body helps prevent the loss of body heat,
A bird's feathers help keep them warm in cold weather, but most birds do not have feathers on their legs and feet. By standing on only one leg, birds reduce their amount of exposed skin by about half.
Two distinct subspecies occur in North America: one that breeds in the East and another that breeds in the West.
Western Willets are larger but more slender, with a narrower bill than Eastern Willets. Their breeding plumage is less strongly barred than their eastern counterparts.
This photo was taken near Calgary, Alberta, Canada on a sunny morning.
-Tringa semipalmata
Keeping warm - Western Willet
Birds like this willet stand on one leg because they are cold and keeping one leg tucked up underneath their body helps prevent the loss of body heat,
A bird's feathers help keep them warm in cold weather, but most birds do not have feathers on their legs and feet. By standing on only one leg, birds reduce their amount of exposed skin by about half.
Two distinct subspecies occur in North America: one that breeds in the East and another that breeds in the West.
Western Willets are larger but more slender, with a narrower bill than Eastern Willets. Their breeding plumage is less strongly barred than their eastern counterparts.
This photo was taken near Calgary, Alberta, Canada on a sunny morning.
-Tringa semipalmata