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Black-tailed Godwit![]() 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 |
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Photos |
Race "limosa"
This race is also called the "European Black-tailed Godwit".
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male(?) Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage
feeding in a mudflat
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
Near-lateral view of a male(?) Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2018]
Lateral view of a male(?) Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Trancao, Lisbon, Portugal, March 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a male(?) Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a male(?) Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Trancao, Lisbon, Portugal, March 2020]
Dorsal view of a male(?) Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2018]
Lateral view of a male(?) Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage in
flight, wings up
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montijo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]
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FEMALE |
Near-frontal view of a female(?) Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Rio Trancao, Lisbon, Portugal, March 2020]
Near-frontal view of a female(?) Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage lifting
its wings
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Dafundo beach, Lisbon, Portugal, July 2019]
Near-lateral view of a female(?) Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a female(?) Black-tailed Godwit, probably
still in transitional
plumage
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, May 2018]
Sex unknown |
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage
feeding in shallow water
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2023]
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PAIR |
Black-tailed Godwits in breeding
plumage in a
marsh; probably the bird on the right, with higher colour
contrast and deeper rufous front, is a male; the bird on
the left may be a female
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Biebrza NP, Poland, May 2017]
Lateral view of two Black-tailed Godwits (a pair?) in breeding
plumage in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Ribeira das Enguias, Tejo estuary, Portugal, June 2022]
Sex unknown |
Lateral view of Black-tailed Godwits in various stages of
plumage resting on a
mudflat
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Clonakilty, County York, Ireland, August 2023]
Lateral view of Black-tailed Godwits in various stages of
plumage resting on a
mudflat
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Clonakilty, County York, Ireland, August 2023]
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage
spreading its wings
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Ribeira das Enguias, Tejo estuary, Portugal, June 2022]
Black-tailed Godwits in breeding
plumage foraging
in shallow water
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Ribeira das Enguias, Tejo estuary, Portugal, June 2022]
Lateral view of Black-tailed Godwits in various stages of moult,
from eclipse to full breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Moita, Tejo estuary, Portugal, June 2019]
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NON-BREEDING |
Sex unknown |
Dorsal view of a Black-tailed Godwit in transitional
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sapal Castro Marim, Vila Real Santo Antonio, Algarve, Portugal, October 2022]
Near-lateral/lateral view of Black-tailed Godwits in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Samouco, Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Dafundo beach, Lisbon, Portugal, July 2019]
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Samouco, Tejo estuary, Portugal, September 2019]
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage;
when digging deep in mud, the bill can look entirely black
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sapal de Alhos Vedros, Moita, Setubal, Portugal, October 2022]
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]
Lateral view of two Black-tailed Godwits in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas do Forte do Rato, Tavira, Algarve, September 2020]
Lateral view of Black-tailed Godwits in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, Portugal, August 2022]
Spectacular overview of a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits in
non-breeding plumage
taking off
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2022]
Near-dorsal view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, December 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]
Dorsal view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sapal de Alhos Vedros, Moita, Setubal, Portugal, October 2022]
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
in flight - note the characteristic white wing bar
and the white square at the base of the tail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sapal Castro Marim, Vila Real Santo Antonio, Algarve, Portugal, October 2022]
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
in flight - note the characteristic white wing bar
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sapal Castro Marim, Vila Real Santo Antonio, Algarve, Portugal, October 2022]
Dorsal view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
on the point of landing - note the characteristic white wing bar
and the white square at the base of the tail
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sapal de Alhos Vedros, Moita, Setubal, Portugal, October 2022]
Dorsal view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2019]
Race "islandica"
This race is also called the "Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit".
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage;
the deep-rufous colouring going far down the belly and
the rather short bill suggest that this bird is race
"islandica"
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
Lateral view of a male Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas do Brito, Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2022]
Lateral view of a male(?) Black-tailed Godwit in breeding
plumage,
seen together with a
Black-winged Stilt
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
Race "melanuroides"
Photos of Black-tailed Godwits, race "melanuroides", were taken in Australia.
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Behaviour |
Outside the breeding season Black-tailed Godwits can appear
in large numbers
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montijo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2018]
Outside the breeding season Black-tailed Godwits can appear
in large numbers
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montijo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2019]
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Food, Diet |
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwits in non-breeding
plumage
with its prey
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montijo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2019]
Lateral view of a Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding
plumage
gobbling up its prey
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sapal Castro Marim, Vila Real Santo Antonio, Algarve, Portugal, October 2022]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
bltgodw_dw_20190414.m4a |
limosa (Poland) |
Contact calls(?) | © DW | |
bltgodw_jp_20200117.m4a |
limosa (Portugal) |
? (large flock) | © JP |
More Black-tailed Godwit sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.