Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica
The Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) is a common sandpiper found in 136 countries, weighing about 292 g. The bar-tailed godwit is a large and strongly migratory wader in the family Scolopacidae, which feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries.
About the Bar-tailed Godwit
The bar-tailed godwit is a large and strongly migratory wader in the family Scolopacidae, which feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries. It has distinctive red breeding plumage, long legs, and a long upturned bill. Bar-tailed godwits breed on Arctic coasts and tundra from Scandinavia to Alaska, and overwinter on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of Australia and New Zealand. The migration of the subspecies Limosa lapponica baueri across the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to New Zealand is the longest known non-stop flight of any bird, and also the longest journey without pausing to feed by any animal. The round-trip migration for this subspecies is over…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The bar-tailed godwit is a relatively short-legged species of godwit. The bill-to-tail length is 37–41 cm (15–16 in), with a wingspan of 70–80 cm (28–31 in). Males average smaller than females but with much overlap; males weigh 190–400 g (6.7–14.1 oz), while females weigh 260–630 g (9.2–22.2 oz); there is also some regional variation in size (see subspecies, below). The adult has blue-grey legs and a long, tapering, slightly upturned bi-coloured bill, pink at the base and black towards the tip. The neck, breast and belly are unbroken brick red in breeding plumage, and dark brown above.
What the Bar-tailed Godwit sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Chile, Benin, St. Pierre & Miquelon, Armenia, Kiribati, Wallis & Futuna, Rwanda, Mexico, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives.
When to see it
The Bar-tailed Godwit can be seen all year round, with peak activity in September. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Bar-tailed Godwit?
- The bar-tailed godwit is a relatively short-legged species of godwit. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Bar-tailed Godwit?
- The Bar-tailed Godwit is a medium sized bird weighing about 292 g.
- Where can you see a Bar-tailed Godwit?
- The Bar-tailed Godwit occurs in 136 countries, including Sweden, Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway and New Zealand.
- What does a Bar-tailed Godwit sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Bar-tailed Godwit on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Bar-tailed Godwit?
- The Bar-tailed Godwit is most easily confused with the Black-tailed Godwit, the Marbled Godwit and the Hudsonian Godwit.
- Is the Bar-tailed Godwit endangered?
- The Bar-tailed Godwit is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Bar-tailed Godwit for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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