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Godwit
(Limosa fedoa beringiae)
The Marbled Godwit is a large bright brown shorebird with a long, slightly upturned bi-colored bill. In flight, the underside of the wings is bright cinnamon-brown.
Marbled Godwits nest from early May through July in wet meadows and grassy areas near water. They are coastal in winter, feeding in muddy bays, estuaries, salt marshes, and wet pastures. During Godwit Days, they are in Humboldt Bay by the thousands.
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| Most Marbled Godwits breed in the central United States and Canadian prairies and winter on the Pacific Coast. A distinct population (the slightly smaller subspecies beringiae) winters predominately in the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary and on Humboldt Bay. In certain years, Arcata's Christmas Bird Count records more individual godwits than any other location in the United States. The great number of Marbled Godwits along with other wintering shorebirds has resulted in recognition of Humboldt Bay as a critical stopover on the Pacific Flyway. The beringiae subspecies of Godwits breed on the tundra near Ugashik Bay, Alaska. |
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Don't miss this color brochure, "Year-round birding in Arcata and beyond."
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