Limosa lapponica
A long-billed Arctic breeder famous for record-breaking non-stop flights.
Size: 37-39 cm | Habitat: Sea, Marsh, Estuary & Shoreline Birds | Season: All year
A large, long-billed, long-legged wading bird, the bar-tailed godwit visits UK estuaries in grey-brown winter plumage, with some birds showing rich chestnut breeding colours in spring. It is easily confused with the black-tailed godwit but has a shorter, slightly upturned bill.
Long, slightly upturned bill · grey-brown winter plumage · barred tail (visible at close range) · long dark legs · large flocks on estuary mudflats
Bar-tailed godwits probe deep into estuary mud for worms and other invertebrates, gathering in large flocks on major estuaries such as the Wash, Thames, and Dee during migration and winter.
A bar-tailed godwit holds the record for the longest known non-stop bird flight — one satellite-tagged bird flew over 8,000 miles from Alaska to Australia without landing.
The Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) is a large, long-billed, long-legged wading bird that visits UK estuaries mainly in grey-brown winter plumage, easily confused with the black-tailed godwit but with a shorter, slightly upturned bill.
Breeding in the Arctic tundra of Scandinavia and Siberia, hundreds of thousands of bar-tailed godwits pass through or winter on major UK estuaries such as the Wash, Thames, Ribble, Dee, and Humber, probing deep into the mud for worms and other invertebrates.
One satellite-tagged bar-tailed godwit set the world record for the longest known non-stop bird flight, covering over 8,000 miles from Alaska to Australia without landing — a staggering feat that underlines just how far-reaching this modest-looking estuary visitor's true journey really is.
🟠 Conservation status: Amber (UK Birds of Conservation Concern 5)
Amber-listed under BoCC5 and Near Threatened globally, reflecting habitat loss, pollution, and disturbance across its vast migratory range between Arctic breeding grounds and wintering estuaries.