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Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosa
Conservation Status
Listed as Vulnerable in New South Wales under the Threatened Species Conservation Act.
What does it look like?
A large sandpiper reaching 44 cm long, with a wingspan of 63-75 cm. It has a distinctive long, straight bill that is pink with a black tip. The wing has a white wing-bar across the dark flight feathers, and white underwing coverts. There is sharp demarcation between the white rump and the black tail. Legs are greenish-black, long and trailing. The non-breeding plumage, observed in Australia, is greyish-brown above and white below, and a grey breast. A broad white stripe is apparent on the underwing. The iris is brown. Most readily mistaken for the similar and more common Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica). Distinguishing features of the Black-tailed Godwit include the black tail in flight; longer, pinker, non-upturned bill; and non-streaked breast. Grey to rufous-chestnut coloured breeding plumage may be visible in some Australian birds just after arrival in spring, or prior to departure in autumn, and in some over-wintering birds.
Where does it live?
The Black-tailed Godwit is primarily a coastal species, usually found in sheltered bays, estuaries and lagoons with large intertidal mudflats and/or sandflats. Further inland, it can also be found in mudflats and in water less than 10cm deep, around muddy lakes and swamps. Individuals have been recorded in wet fields and sewerage treatment works.
It is a migratory wading bird that breeds in Mongolia and Eastern Siberia (Palaearctic) and flies to Australia for the southern summer, arriving in August and leaving in March. In NSW, it is most frequently recorded at Kooragang Island (Hunter River estuary), with occasional records elsewhere along the north and south coast, and inland. Records in western NSW indicate that a regular inland passage is used by the species, as it may occur around of the large lakes in the western areas during summer, when the muddy shores are exposed. The species has been recorded within the Murray-Darling Basin, on the western slopes of the Northern Tablelands and in the far north-western corner of the state.
What do they eat?
The species forages for insects, crustaceans, molluscs, worms, larvae, spiders, fish eggs, frog eggs and tadpoles in soft mud or shallow water. Roosts and loafs on low banks of mud, sand and shell bars. It’s frequently recorded in mixed flocks with Bar-tailed Godwits.
Threats include:
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Hydrological changes to inland lakes and estuaries may modify or remove important areas of suitable habitat for individuals remaining in Australia over winter.
- Tourism, residential or agricultural developments reducing coastal and inland habitat areas.
Related Links
- Black-tailed Godwit - NPWS Species Profile