Bar-tailed Godwit

Non-breeding plumage is dull grey-brown above and whitish below with faint streaking. Breeding adults develop rich, deep rufous-red underparts, most intensely colored in males; females are larger and paler. The tail is finely barred with black and white, giving the species its name.

Very long slightly upturned bill with a pinkish base, barred tail and rump (lack of a striking white wedge on the back), and unpatterned grey-brown upperparts in non-breeding plumage.

Length: 37-41 cm (15-16 inches); Wingspan: 70-80 cm (27-31 inches); Weight: 190-450 g (depending on sex and season).

A repeated, sharp, rolling whistle or barking 'kek-kek-kek' call, especially vocal on the breeding grounds and when disturbed.

Invertebrates such as marine worms, bivalves, crabs, and insects, foraged by probing deep into soft mud or sand with its specialized sensitive bill.

Coastal estuaries, intertidal mudflats, sandy beaches, and occasionally wet coastal meadows and tundra during the breeding season.

Long-distance migrant; famously known for undertaking some of the longest non-stop migratory flights of any bird, traveling thousands of kilometers across the Pacific Ocean between Alaska and New Zealand without stopping.

Breeds on the Arctic tundra. The nest is a shallow depression on the ground lined with lichens and leaves. Clutch size is typically 3-4 eggs, incubated by both parents.

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa), which is longer-legged, has a straighter bill with more extensive orange-pink on the base, and shows a bold black-and-white tail pattern in flight rather than barred.

Acts as a key predator of intertidal benthic invertebrates, helping to regulate populations of marine worms and mollusks, and serves as an important bioindicator of coastal ecosystem health.

Near Threatened, with populations facing declines primarily due to habitat loss and degradation at critical staging and stopover sites along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

Look for them on expansive coastal mudflats, estuaries, and sandy beaches at low tide. Use a spotting scope to scan mixed flocks of shorebirds, and visit during migration peaks for the highest numbers.

A bar-tailed godwit named '4BBRW' set a world record for non-stop flight by flying 12,850 kilometers (7,985 miles) from Alaska to New Zealand in 11 days without stopping to eat or sleep.