Black-tailed Godwit

Breeding adults have rich orange-red head, neck, and breast, with dark barring on the flanks and back. Non-breeding adults are dull grayish-brown above and pale grey below. Juveniles resemble non-breeding adults with warm buff tones.

Long pink-based bill, long dark legs, striking white wing stripe in flight, and white tail with a broad black terminal band.

Length: 37-42 cm, Wingspan: 70-82 cm, Weight: 160-500 g

A loud, carrying 'wit-wit-wit' or rhythmic 'grutto' alarm call, which inspired its Dutch name.

Insects, crustaceans, molluscs, and occasionally plant material, foraged by probing deep into mud with its sensitive bill.

Inland wetlands, wet meadows, flooded pastures, estuaries, and mudflats.

Long-distance migrant. Populations travel from breeding grounds in Europe and Asia to wintering sites in Africa, southern Europe, and Australia.

Ground nester in shallow scrapes lined with vegetation in damp meadows. Usually lays 4 eggs. Both parents incubate and tend to the precocial chicks.

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica), which has a more strongly upturned bill, barred underwings, and lacks the bold black-and-white wing pattern in flight.

Acts as an important predator of aquatic invertebrates, helping regulate benthic populations in wetland and estuarine ecosystems.

Near Threatened globally, with declining populations due to habitat loss and agricultural intensification.

Look for them in wet grasslands, mudflats, and shallow inland lakes, especially during migration periods. Use a spotting scope for distant flocks.

One individual, a Bar-tailed Godwit closely related to the Black-tailed, holds the record for the longest non-stop bird migration, flying over 13,000 kilometers from Alaska to New Zealand.