- Limosa haemastica
Identification
36–42 cm (14¼-16½ in)
- Slightly uptilted long pink bill (dark at tip)
- Whitish face and throat
- Mottled brown upperparts
- Chestnut underparts
- White rump
- Black tail
- Long dark legs
Distribution
Breeds in Alaska and Canadian Arctic; winters Atlantic coast of southern South America.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Marshy ground near lowland tree-line, close to coasts and rivers.
Behaviour
Breeding
A marshy area is chosen for the well hidden nest. Adults will remain motionless on the nest until they are almost stepped on. At this point, they will fly up and begin calling at the intruder.
Clutches are usually made up of 4 olive-colored eggs with dark splotches. Both parents take turns incubating and will attend to young birds, who find their own food and are able to fly within a month of birth.
Display
Males have an elaborate courtship flight during which they fly several hundred feet up and fly with slow dramatic wing beats, bringing their wings above their back into a high v, while calling.
Males also land atop trees within their territory to continue their calls and keep watch.
Diet
Diet during the breeding season includes insects, snails, beetles, larvae and seeds. Their winter diet is not well recorded.
Vocalisation
Display call is a loud, screeching "gah-weet", repeated in a rhythmic fashion.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved April 2015)
- Birdforum Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Hudsonian Godwit. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Hudsonian_Godwit
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
