Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica
Conservation Status
Near ThreatenedAves · Charadriiformes · Scolopacidae
About
The bar-tailed godwit is a large and strongly migratory wader in the family Scolopacidae, which feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries. It has distinctive red breeding plumage, long legs, and a long upturned bill. Bar-tailed godwits breed on Arctic coasts and tundra from Scandinavia to Alaska, and overwinter on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of Australia and New Zealand. The migration of the subspecies Limosa lapponica baueri across the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to New Zealand is the longest known non-stop flight of any bird, and also the longest journey without pausing to feed by any animal. The round-trip migration for this subspecies is over 29,000 km (18,020 mi).
Fun Fact
The Bar-tailed Godwit holds the record for the longest non-stop migration of any bird—11,000 km from Alaska to New Zealand in just 11 days.
Quick Facts
Habitat
To be updated
Diet
Feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries.
Lifespan
To be updated
Threats
- Habitat Change
- Human Disturbance