Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Shorebirds

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australian Capital Territory Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of South Australia Birds of Tasmania Birds of Victoria Birds of Western Australia Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia

By family

Sandpipers & Allies of Australian Capital Territory Sandpipers & Allies of New South Wales Sandpipers & Allies of Northern Territory Sandpipers & Allies of Queensland Sandpipers & Allies of South Australia Sandpipers & Allies of Tasmania Sandpipers & Allies of Victoria Sandpipers & Allies of Western Australia Sandpipers & Allies of Alberta Sandpipers & Allies of British Columbia

See what's near you right now

The Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 292 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
Genus Limosa
Species lapponica

Where it lives

Patchily in low Arctic tundra of northern Palearctic: far northern Scandinavia to Chukotskiy and Anadyr pens. (northeastern Russia) and northern, western Alaska

Europe & Northern Asia

Quick facts

Weight: 292 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Scolopacidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Vulnerable

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Bar-tailed Godwit hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Bar-tailed Godwit is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) belongs to the Scolopacidae family of the order Charadriiformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL patchily in low Arctic tundra of n Palearctic: far n Scandinavia to Chukotskiy and Anadyr pens. (ne Russia) and n, w Alaska.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 292 g, with a wing length of about 21 cm and a tail of around 7.4 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.5 million km².

Songs & calls

Bar-tailed Godwit — Call, flight call, nocturnal flight call

Recorded by Mark James Pearson Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Bar-tailed Godwit?

The Bar-tailed Godwit is a large bird that weighs around 292 g.

Where does the Bar-tailed Godwit live?

The Bar-tailed Godwit is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL patchily in low Arctic tundra of n Palearctic: far n Scandinavia to Chukotskiy and Anadyr pens. (ne Russia) and n, w Alaska, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Bar-tailed Godwit belong to?

The Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Bar-tailed Godwit eat?

The Bar-tailed Godwit hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Bar-tailed Godwit migrate?

The Bar-tailed Godwit is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Bar-tailed Godwit endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Bar-tailed Godwit make?

1 real field recording of the Bar-tailed Godwit — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Bar-tailed Godwit's range?

The Bar-tailed Godwit has a mapped global range of about 1.5 million km².