ShorebirdsBar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica
- ORDER: Charadriiformes
- FAMILY: Scolopacidae
Basic Description
Bar-tailed Godwits are champion fliers of the bird world: each fall, migratory flocks take flight from western Alaska and some individuals continue flying nonstop for over 10,000 km (6,000 miles) until they reach their nonbreeding grounds in New Zealand and Australia. This large Arctic-nesting species spends the nonbreeding season using its long, upturned bill to probe coastal mudflats for mollusks, crustaceans, and worms. Breeding males have gorgeous rufous underparts, and larger females are more plainly colored with a buffy wash on a streaked breast.
More ID InfoOther Names
- Aguja Colipinta (Spanish)
- Barge rousse (French)
- Cool Facts
- Bar-tailed Godwits undergo incredible physical changes before their long-distance flights. They bulk up on fatty foods to gain weight, attaining the highest fat levels reported for any bird species (55% of body weight). At the same time, their heart and breast muscles enlarge, while their digestive organs (which won’t be used during the flight) shrink just before departure.
- One way Bar-tailed Godwits keep their chicks safe is by nesting close to species that aggressively mob predators to drive them away. These include birds like Black-bellied Plover, Whimbrel, and Long-tailed Jaeger, which Bar-tailed Godwits join in chasing away raptors, cranes, jaegers, gulls, and ravens. The association lasts even after godwit chicks leave the nest; they often form groups with other shorebird chicks (Black-bellied Plover, American and Pacific Golden-Plovers, Whimbrel, Bristle-thighed Curlew, and Dunlin) and Long-tailed Jaeger.
- The oldest recorded Bar-tailed Godwit was at least 36 years, 1 month old when it was recaptured by researchers in the United Kingdom in August 2008.