Photo: Hans Hillewaert / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosa
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 288 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)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 limosa
Where it lives
Widespread in subarctic and temperate wet grassland: Iceland, Faroe Is., British Isles, Scandinavia south to southwestern France, east through northwestern Russia, northern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia east to Chukotskiy Pen., Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Amurland (eastern Russia) and Inner Mongolia (northeastern China)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 288 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Extinct
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-tailed Godwit hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Black-tailed Godwit is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) is a species of sandpipers, snipes in the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in Europe & Northern Asia — widespread in subarctic and temperate wet grassland: Iceland, Faroe Is., British Isles, Scandinavia s to sw France, e through nw Russia, n Kazakhstan, n Mongolia e to Chukotskiy Pen., Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Amurland (e Russia) and Inner Mongolia (ne China).
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-tailed Godwit?
The Black-tailed Godwit is a large bird that weighs around 288 g.
Where does the Black-tailed Godwit live?
The Black-tailed Godwit is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL widespread in subarctic and temperate wet grassland: Iceland, Faroe Is., British Isles, Scandinavia s to sw France, e through nw Russia, n Kazakhstan, n Mongolia e to Chukotskiy Pen., Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Amurland (e Russia) and Inner Mongolia (ne China), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Black-tailed Godwit belong to?
The Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Black-tailed Godwit eat?
The Black-tailed Godwit hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Black-tailed Godwit migrate?
The Black-tailed Godwit is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Black-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 Black-tailed Godwit make?
1 real field recording of the Black-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 Black-tailed Godwit's range?
The Black-tailed Godwit has a mapped global range of about 10.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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