Limosa limosa
Copied!
Mass
~290 g
Habitat
Wetlands and marshes
Diet
Fish and aquatic animals
How to recognize it
The black-tailed godwit has a lean, long-legged look with a long bill and an elegant upright stance. In flight, the pale wing stripe and white rump are the easiest things to catch.
In the breeding season it gets noisy, with a harsh, nasal voice and showy display flights. On the ground it stays alert, and when disturbed it darts about, runs off, and takes to the air again.
It lives in wet meadows, bogs, lake edges, and other damp places with soft ground and tall grass. It feeds in shallow water and on land, taking aquatic invertebrates, and on migration and in winter it also eats berries, seeds, and rice; most populations move south for the cold season.
Quick Facts
Listen to the call
The black-tailed godwit has a lean, long-legged look with a long bill and an elegant upright stance. In flight, the pale wing stripe and white rump are the easiest things to catch.
In the breeding season it gets noisy, with a harsh, nasal voice and showy display flights. On the ground it stays alert, and when disturbed it darts about, runs off, and takes to the air again.
It lives in wet meadows, bogs, lake edges, and other damp places with soft ground and tall grass. It feeds in shallow water and on land, taking aquatic invertebrates, and on migration and in winter it also eats berries, seeds, and rice; most populations move south for the cold season.
