EASTERN WILLET 35 



bayous or in the coastal marshes. In such places we often saw them 

 in large flocks by themselves, where they were very shy and utterly 

 unapproachable. Toward the end of March their numbers began to 

 decrease, as the birds left for their breeding grounds. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — The Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America to north- 

 ern South America ; accidental in Kansas, Bermuda, and Europe. 



Breeding range. — The breeding range of the willet extends north 

 to Texas (Corpus Christi, Houston, and Galveston) ; Louisiana (Cal- 

 casieu, New Orleans, and Breton Island) ; Alabama (Grand Batture 

 Island and Bayou Labatre) ; and Nova Scotia (Digby, Halifax, and 

 Sable Island). East to Nova Scotia (Sable Island and Barrington) ; 

 Massachusetts (formerly New Bedford and Nantucket) ; Connecti- 

 cut (Madison and West Haven) ; New Jersey (Barnegat Inlet, 

 Bridgeton, Beasleys Point, Sea Isle City, and Oape May) ; Mary- 

 land (Berlin) ; Virginia (Chincoteague, Hog Island, Cobb Island, 

 and Norfolk) ; North Carolina (Atlantic and Beaufort) ; South Caro- 

 lina (Waverly Mills, Sullivans Island, and Frogmore) ; Georgia 

 (Savannah, Darien, and St. Simons Island) ; eastern Florida (Fer- 

 nandina, Anastasia Island, New Smyrna, Turtle Mount, Mosquito 

 Lagoon, Cape Canaveral, and Lake Worth) ; and the Bahama Islands 

 (Great Bahama, Abaco, and Inagua.) South to the Bahama Islands 

 (Inagua and Andros) ; the West Indies (Grand Cayman) 5 western 

 Florida (Indian Key and St. Marks); and Texas (Brownsville). 

 West to Texas (Brownsville and Corpus Christi). 



The breedings range above outlined has become greatly restricted, 

 and while it is still reported as breeding in Nova Scotia, it is of rare 

 occurrence at this season on the coasts of the Northern and Middle 

 Atlantic States. Willets have been reported as nesting on Barbuda, 

 West Indies, but the record is probably based upon non-breeding 

 individuals which also have been noted in Cuba (Guantanamo). 



Winter range. — The winter range extends north to Texas (Browns- 

 ville) ; Louisiana (State Game Preserve and Breton Island) ; Alabama 

 (Coffee Island); and probably rarely Virginia (Cobb Island). 

 East to rarely Virginia (Cobb Island) ; rarely North Carolina (Fort 

 Macon) ; South Carolina (Waverly Mills and Frogmore) ; Georgia 

 (Savannah and Darien) ; Florida (Fernandina, Mosquito Inlet, In- 

 dian River, Sebastian, and Royal Palm Hammock) ; the Bahama 

 Islands (Grassy Creek and Caicos) ; Cuba; jDrobably Haiti; Porto 

 Rico (Boqueron and Anegada Island) ; the Lesser Antilles (Antigua. 

 Barbados, Grenada, and Trinidad); British Guiana; and Brazil 

 (Catejuba Island). South to Brazil (Catejuba Island and Guapore 



