Marbled godwit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marbled godwit |
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The marbled godwit (Limosa fedoa) is a large shorebird. On average, it is the largest of the 4 species of godwit.
Description
The total length is 40–50 cm (16–20 in), including a large bill of 8–13 cm (3.1–5.1 in), and wingspan is 70–88 cm (28–35 in). Body mass can vary from 240 to 510 g (8.5 to 18.0 oz).
Adults have long blue-grey legs and a very long pink bill with a slight upward curve and dark at the tip. The long neck, breast and belly are pale brown with dark bars on the breast and flanks. The back is mottled and dark. They show cinnamon wing linings in flight.
Nesting
They nest on the ground, usually in short grass.
Diet and behaviour
These birds forage by probing on mudflats, in marshes, or at the beach (see picture below). When the tide is out, they eat. In short grass, they may pick up insects by sight. They mainly eat insects and crustaceans, but also eat parts of aquatic plants.
When the tide is in, they roost. They often sleep by standing on one leg and tucking their bill into their body (see picture below).
Conservation
Their numbers were reduced by hunting at the end of the 19th century. Although they had recovered somewhat since that time, their population has declined in recent times as suitable habitat is used for farming.
Subspecies
There are two subspecies of the marbled godwit:
- L. f. beringiae, (Gibson & Kessel, 1989), breeds in the northern part of the Alaska Peninsula
- L. f. fedoa, (Linnaeus, 1758), breeds in Canada and the US
Migration
Marbled godwits breed in three distinct areas with their own unique route. The vast majority occur in mid-continental North America, followed by eastern Canada and the Alaska Peninsula, USA. In addition, the largest winter ranges are the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts of the US and Mexico.
Godwits breeding in the western USA and Canada follow a route through the Utah stopover site, with a final arrival in the winter sites of Mexico and the Caribbean. Species breeding in eastern Canada migrate across the US, and stopover at sites along the Gulf of California and Mexico. Furthermore, those breeding in North and South Dakota winter in coastal Georgia.
The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge located at Great Salt Lake in Utah (USA), is one of the most popular stopover sites for godwits in the spring and fall.
Gallery
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Feeding on mudflat at low tide, Elkhorn Slough
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Marbled godwits feeding, Point Reyes National Seashore, California
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In flight
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Flock
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Sleeping at Balboa Peninsula, Newport Beach, California.
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Bodega Bay, California
See also
In Spanish: Limosa fedoa para niños
