Birds diurnal

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosa

With its elegant long legs and a bill perfectly designed for the mire, the Black-tailed Godwit is a striking visitor to the world's wetlands. Whether in its fiery orange breeding dress or its sleek winter greys, this shorebird is a master of the mudflats.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length: 40–44 cm (16–17 in); Wingspan: 70–82 cm (28–32 in); Weight: 250–500 g (9–18 oz)

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Colors

Breeding adults feature a rich orange-red head, neck, and chest with dark barring on the belly. Winter plumage is a muted, uniform grey-brown. Both sexes display a bold white wing-bar and a black-tipped white tail in flight.

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Key Features

Extraordinarily long, straight pinkish-orange bill with a dark tip
Prominent white wing-bars visible during flight
Solid black band at the end of a white tail
Long, dark grey to black legs that extend past the tail in flight

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern diurnal

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Peak hours 6-10 AM and 4-7 PM (Often dictated by tidal cycles in coastal regions)

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Season March-May for breeding plumage; August-October for autumn migration

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Diet Invertebrate specialists that eat earthworms, dragonflies, beetles, and snails; they also consume seeds and rice in agricultural areas during winter.

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Habitat Wet meadows, coastal mudflats, estuaries, marshes, and occasionally flooded agricultural fields or large suburban ponds.

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Behavior

The Black-tailed Godwit is a highly social and gregarious wader, often seen in large, synchronized flocks at coastal estuaries and inland wetlands. They are famous for their energetic 'stitching' foraging technique, where they rapidly probe their long, sensitive bills vertically into soft mud or soil to locate prey. During the breeding season, they occupy wet grasslands where males perform acrobatic aerial displays, tumbling through the air to defend their territory.

While they are cautious around humans, they have become increasingly reliant on managed wetlands and even agricultural landscapes like rice paddies during migration. They are remarkable endurance flyers, with some subspecies undertaking non-stop transcontinental flights. In a backyard setting near water, you’ll likely see them standing motionless on one leg during high tide or probing the mud with intense focus during the day.

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Camera Tips

To capture the best footage of a Black-tailed Godwit, camera placement is everything. These birds spend the vast majority of their time on their feet, so you must position your AI camera very low to the ground—ideally between 10 and 15 inches high. Angle the lens slightly upward to emphasize their impressive leg length and bill. If you are setting up near a pond or wetland edge, place the camera on a sturdy stake in the mud just inches above the water line to capture their 'stitching' feeding behavior.

Unlike backyard songbirds, Godwits won't come to a traditional feeder. Instead, you can 'lure' them by maintaining a patch of very short, damp grass or a shallow muddy margin. They are visually oriented and prefer wide-open spaces where they feel safe from predators, so avoid placing your camera near thick brush or tall reeds. Look for 'footprint clusters' in the mud as a sign of a high-traffic foraging spot.

Because Godwits move their heads rapidly when probing for food, use a camera with a high trigger speed and set your device to record in 'Burst Mode' or 60fps video. This ensures you get a sharp image of the bill rather than a motion blur. Early morning light is particularly beneficial; the low sun angle will catch the iridescence of their breeding plumage and make the white wing-bars pop against the background. If your camera has a built-in microphone, listen for their distinctive 'reeka-reeka' calls, which can help you identify when they are nearby before they even enter the frame.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Black-tailed Godwit.

Bar-tailed Godwit

Has a slightly upturned bill and lacks the bold white wing-bars; its tail is intricately barred rather than solid black.

Hudsonian Godwit

Features a more upturned bill and dark sooty wing linings, whereas the Black-tailed has white wing linings.

Frequently Asked Questions

They are primarily active during daylight hours. In coastal areas, their schedule is controlled by the tide; they feed most actively when the water recedes to expose mudflats and rest during high tide.

They are only likely to visit backyards that border large wetlands or flooded fields. Keeping grass very short and maintaining a muddy, shallow water edge is the best way to encourage them to stop during migration.

Their diet consists mostly of aquatic invertebrates, worms, and snails found by probing deep into the mud. During migration, they may also eat spilled grain or rice in fields.

They are uncommon in typical suburbs, preferring expansive marshes and estuaries. However, they can be seen in suburban parks that feature large lakes with muddy shorelines during migration months.

The Black-tailed Godwit has a straighter bill and a bold white wing-stripe that is highly visible in flight. The Bar-tailed Godwit lacks the wing-stripe and has a tail with fine bars rather than a solid black band.

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