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Black-tailed Godwit
(Limosa limosa)
Size: 36-44 cm; wing span 70-82 cm
Weight: 280 g (male), 340 g (female) averages; range: 150-500 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Black-tailed Godwits are medium-sized waders.
When seen in Australia, Black-tailed Godwits are usually in
eclipse
plumage, which is
highly cryptic.
Except for short light-grey eyebrows and a small throat patch,
the rest of the head, neck and chest is plain grey with a brownish
tinge. The belly, vent and undertail coverts are light-grey to
off-white. The back and wings are dark brownish-grey, with somewhat
lighter brownish-grey edge lining. The uppertail is black. In flight
they show nearly white underwings with a prominent black fringe.
On the upperwing they have conspicuous, broad wing bars.
During the breeding season most of the head, neck and chest is russet.
The eyes have dark irises. Black-tailed Godwits have a long,
dark grey-tipped pinkish, straight bill that is about twice
as long as the size of the head. The long legs and the feet are
dark-grey.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Compared with Bar-tailed
Godwits, they have less colour contrast in their non-breeding
plumage. During the
breeding season their belly is much lighter than the front and the
head.
The correct identification of waders ("shorebirds"), e.g. of the
Calidris, Tringa, Actitis and
related families or of the Charadrius, Pluvialis and related genera
in the field can be quite tricky. We have therefore made an attempt to
give some advice HERE.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Black-tailed
Godwit at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Black-tailed Godwit is available
HERE
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There are 3 races of Black-tailed Godwits, which are a strongly
migratory species.
Race "islandica" breeds in Iceland, the Faeroe Islands, Shetland
and the Lofoten Islands.
Race "limosa",
which is also called the "European Black-tailed Godwit", breeds
in parts of southern Scandinavia, most of central, eastern and
south-eastern Europe and eastward into central Asia, up to the
Yenisei River.
Race
"melanuroides", the "Asian Black-tailed Godwit",
breeds in Mongolia, northern China, Siberia and far-eastern
Russia.
They spend the northern winters in various parts of
the world. Much of the European population will stay in
western Ireland, western Iberia, around the Mediterranean
or in sub-Saharan Africa or the East African highlands.
Others will winter on the South coast of the Caspian
Sea, the coastal fringe of Arabia, or parts of northern
India.
The East Asian population overwinters in parts of south-eastern
Asia or Australia.
There are only small areas where they stay permanently,
mostly in southern England.
In Australia only Black-tailed Godwits, race "melanuroides",
are found. They usually populate the coastal fringe on both
the West and East of the continent; in the West down to the
south-western tip, in the East to about Eyre peninsula, SA.
In the South they can be found along the lower Murray River.
Occasionally, after significant rainfall, they venture into
other parts of the Australian continent, including the semi-arid
interior, bascially anywhere but the major sandy deserts of
eastern WA, the south-western NT and western SA.
Black-tailed Godwits have a preference for sandbanks and also
intertidal wetlands,
including mudflats,
but they may also be found around fresh water.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "melanuroides"
Various contributors report finding Black-tailed Godwits, race
"melanuroides",
in various locations in and around Darwin, NT, in the months of
October-March, outside their breeding season in the northern
hemisphere. They have been seen in flocks of up to about 100.
M. Eaton found a Black-tailed Godwit, race "melanuroides", at
Lake Clarendon, QLD, in October 2018.
Race "limosa"
Black-tailed Godwits, nominate race
"limosa",
were found by us in Europe.
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Photos |
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Race "melanuroides"
This race is also called the "Asian Black-tailed Godwit".
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ADULT |
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NON-BREEDING |
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Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
foraging in a settlement pond (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Sewage Treatment Plant, Darwin, NT, October 2018]
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit, left, together with a
Bar-tailed Godwit,
right, both in non-breeding plumage; in the foreground a
number of Great Knots
in transitional and non-breeding plumages can be seen
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, March 2013]
Black-tailed Godwits in non-breeding
plumage
with Great Knots
in the background (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, October 2018]
Lateral view of Black-tailed Godwits in non-breeding
plumage
taking off (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, October 2018]
Lateral view of Black-tailed Godwits in non-breeding
plumage
in low flight - note the clearly visible black tails
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, October 2018]
Lateral view of Black-tailed Godwits in non-breeding
plumage
in low flight - note the clearly visible black tails
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, October 2018]
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit in-flight, together with two
Radjah Shelducks
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, November 2018]
Near-dorsal view oBlack-tailed Godwits in flight, together with
a number of Great Knots,
all in non-breeding plumage;
the Black-tailed Godwits are the birds with the prominent white underwings,
white wing bars, white rump and black tail
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Buffalo Creek Beach, Darwin, NT, January 2016]
Race "limosa"
Photos of Black-tailed Godwits, nominate race "limosa",
were taken in Europe.
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
More Black-tailed Godwit sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
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These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.