The Bar-tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica, is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae.

Taxonomy:

It is distinguished from the Black-tailed Godwit by its barred, rather than wholly black, tail and a lack of white wing bars. The most similar species is the Asiatic Dowitcher.

Class: Aves

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Scolopacidae

Genus: Limosa

Species: L. lapponica

Binomial name: Limosa lapponica (Linnaeus, 1758)

Subspecies: Limosa lapponica lapponica

Limosa lapponica taymyrensis

Limosa lapponica menzbieri

Limosa lapponica anadyrensis

Limosa lapponica baueri

Limosa lapponica lapponica (Linnaeus, 1758). Breeds from northern Scandinavia east to the Taymyr Peninsula; winters western coasts of Europe and Africa from the British Isles and the Netherlands south to South Africa, and also around the Persian Gulf. Smallest subspecies, males up to 360 g, females to 450 g.

Limosa lapponica menzbieri Portenko, 1936. Breeds northeastern Asia from the Taymyr Peninsula east to the Kolyma River delta; winters southeastern Asia and Australia. Intermediate between the other two subspecies.

Limosa lapponica baueri Naumann, 1836. Breeds far northeastern Asia east of the Kolyma River, and western Alaska; winters in Australia and New Zealand. Largest subspecies.

Distribution:

They breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World. It makes the longest non-stop flight known for any bird and also the longest journey without pausing to feed by any animal, 11,570 km along a route from Alaska to New Zealand. Common passage and winter visitor to most coasts, especially sandy estuaries and beaches.

Breeds only in the far north of Scandinavia and beyond, but is a common winter and passage visitor to many of the estuaries of western Europe.

Physical Characteristics:

Bar-tailed Godwits are quite large waders, with females being bigger than males. The Bar-tailed Godwit is mainly mottled brown above and lighter and more uniform buff below. It has dull white underwings, and a long, slightly upturned bill. As the name suggests, the white tail is barred with brown. This is the non-breeding plumage of the Bar-tailed Godwit and is the main phase seen in Australia. The breeding plumage is darker and more rufous, with females duller than males. Young birds resemble non-breeding birds.

In summer, male Bar-tailed Godwits go completely brick-red underneath from bill to tail. They also differ from Black-tailed Godwits in their shorter legs and the lack of a wing pattern. In flight they resemble small Curlews with generally brown upper-parts, except for the triangular white rump and pale barred upper-tail. However, they have slightly up-turned rather than obviously down-turned bills. Unlike Black-tailed Godwits, their upperparts are heavily patterned even in winter plumage and they are unlikely to look prominently red or orange on the head and neck.

The Bar-tailed Godwit is often difficult to distinguish from the similar Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa. This second species lacks the white underwing and barred rump, and has a longer bill and a white wingbar.

Habitat:

Bar-tailed Godwits inhabit estuarine mudflats, beaches and mangroves. They are common in coastal areas around Australia. They are social birds and are often seen in large flocks and in the company of other waders.

Diet:

Bar-tailed Godwits feed on molluscs, worms and aquatic insects. Birds wade through the shallows or over exposed mud and probe their long bills rapidly into the bottom to find food. Feeding parties may number up to 30 or more birds, and include non-breeding migrants and young birds that remain all year round

Behavior:

The Bar-tailed Godwit migrates in flocks to coastal western Europe, Africa, South Asia, Australia and New Zealand - where the sub-species Limosa lapponica baueri is called Kūaka in Māori.

It has recently (2007) been shown to undertake the longest non-stop flight of any bird. Using satellite tracking, birds in New Zealand were tagged and tracked all the way to the Yellow Sea in China. According to Dr. Clive Minton (Australasian Wader Studies Group) "The distance between these two locations is 9,575 km, but the actual track flown by the bird was 11,026 km. This is the longest known non-stop flight of any bird. The flight took approximately nine days. At least three other Bar-tailed Godwits also appear to have reached the Yellow Sea after non-stop flights from New Zealand."

One specific female of the flock, nicknamed "E7", flew onward from China to Alaska, and on August 29 she departed on a non-stop flight back to New Zealand, setting a new known flight record of 11,570 km from Avinof to Piako Stray birds from Europe and Asia occasionally appear on both North American coasts.

Breeding

The Bar-tailed Godwit is a non-breeding migrant in Australia. Breeding take place each year in Scandinavia, northern Asia and Alaska. The nest is a shallow cup in moss, and is either lined with vegetation or is unlined. Both sexes share incubation of the eggs and care for the young.