Bird Sightings : Hebrides : Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Gaelic: Cearra-ghob-mhòr

Photograph © Terry Fountain
North Bay - South Uist - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
20th May, 2007

• Bar-tailed Godwit
• AKA: Yarwhelp, Preen (means: dagger, bodkin)
• Limosa lapponica
• Passage/Winter Visitor (A few non-breeding birds seen through summer)
• AMBER LIST, (winter) 53,000 (BTO) (the majority overwinter in just 3 English estuaries)
• Breeds: Arctic : Scandinavia, Siberia, North Asia & Alaska
• Winters: Heads south: Europe (inc Western Isles), South Asia, Africa & Australia
• Coastal bird: tundra, (migration mudflats) flooded fields, estuaries
• Diet: Insects, molluscs (inc snails), crustaceans & worms (usually in deep in mud, hence long bill)
• Long-billed, long-legged wader. Winter grey-brown or off-white. Spring (breeding) males neck, breast & belly rich chestnut or brick-red. Adult: blue-grey legs, very long dark bill with slight upward curve & pink tip. Female much larger than male.
• ID from Black-tailed Godwit by having barred, NOT all black tail & NO white wing bars.
• Listen bar-tailed godwit (RSPB site)
• similar birds: black-tailed godwit, whimbrel

The oldest bar-tailed godwit on record 30 was years old

Alaskan Godwits go all the way down to New Zealand to over-winter. It is a 7 day non-stop 11570km journey (no feeding).
Probably the longest non-stop journey any bird makes.

 

Our godwit photographs:

Black-tailed Godwit 20th April 2007	Bar-tailed godwit 24th March 2007	Bar-tailed godwit 20th May 2007	Bar-tailed godwit 10th November 2007

 

 

Other local bird photographs

Terry Fountain's web site:
http://www.hebridesphotographic.com

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