Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

Bird · GBIF taxon 2481685

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosa

Black-tailed godwits are impressive, long-billed waders celebrated for their long-distance migrations and striking seasonal transformations. Breeding adults show off warm, brick-red plumage across the head, neck, and chest, contrasting sharply with their grey-brown winter tones. In flight, they reveal a bold white wingbar and a jet-black tail band, probing soft wetland mud with specialized, sensitive bill tips to catch buried prey.

MigratoryWaderShorebird

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Licensed referenceAndreas Trepte / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa

—observations

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—peak records

Near ThreatenedConservation status

Key facts

Diet & prey

Earthworms
Aquatic insects
Small mollusks

Predators

Peregrine Falcon
Red Fox
Marsh Harrier

ThreatsAgricultural intensification, drainage of wet meadows, nest predation, and coastal habitat destruction

HabitatsDamp lowland grasslands, freshwater marshes, sewage farms, coastal estuaries, and mudflats

Life span10–15 years in the wild

Size / weightNot available

Classification

FamilyScolopacidae
SpeciesLimosa limosa

Range & activity

Range data is not available yet.

Safe observation

Interaction riskLow

Low
Moderate
High
Very high

Why interaction risk is low: Safe to observe at a normal distance.
What to notice: Recognize by its long orange-based bill, orange breast in summer, and white wingbars in flight.
Support conservation: Keep a generous distance using optics, particularly in spring when adults defend ground nests.

Responsible observation

High-Tide Scanning: Use a spotting scope to view resting flocks on coastal high-tide roosts.
Nesting Season Etiquette: Stick to designated public paths near wet meadows to avoid disturbing ground nests.
Flight ID: Watch for the distinctive wide white wing stripe and black tail pattern as flocks take off.

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