Limosa haemastica
The Hudsonian Godwit (*Limosa haemastica*) is a striking medium-sized shorebird, renowned for its epic transcontinental migrations. Averaging 37-42 cm in length with a wingspan of 70-80 cm and weighing 250-450 g, it boasts a long, slightly upturned bicolored bill – pinkish at the base transitioning to a dark tip – and strikingly long legs. In breeding plumage, adults exhibit rich chestnut underparts heavily barred with black, contrasted by dark brown upperparts streaked with buff, while non-b...
Breeds primarily in arctic and subarctic tundra, bogs, and wet sedge meadows. Winters in coastal wetlands, estuaries, and mudflats, particularly in southern South America.
Primarily feeds on a variety of invertebrates, including insect larvae, marine worms, and small crustaceans, obtained by probing soft substrates with its long bill. Also consumes some plant material, such as seeds, especially before migration.
Hudsonian Godwits are diurnal foragers, actively probing soft mud and shallow water with their long, sensitive bills, often feeding in small, loose groups. During migration and winter, they are highly social, forming large, often spectacular flocks that roost communally on open mudflats or beache...
The Hudsonian Godwit exhibits a remarkable disjunct breeding distribution across two hemispheres. North American breeding populations are found in the Arctic and subarctic regions of Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, northern British Columbia, Manitoba, and along the west coast of James Bay. ...
Least Concern
- The Hudsonian Godwit undertakes one of the longest non-stop migratory flights of any shorebird, potentially covering thousands of kilometers over open ocean from North America to South America. - Its name 'Hudsonian' derives from its initial description near Hudson Bay in Canada. - Before their...