Marbled Godwit

Marbled Godwit, adult non-breeding; Ft. Desoto, FL; March

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Marbled Godwit, breeding adult; Ft. Desoto, FL; March

Marbled Godwit, adult non-breeding; Florida, March

Marbled Godwit, non-breeding adult; Ft. Desoto, FL;

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A large shorebird with a long, upturned bill, the Marbled Godwit breeds in the center of the continent and winters along the coasts. It breeds in the northern prairies, amongst grasslands and scattered wetlands.

Description

Large shorebird. Long, slightly upturned bill with dark tip and pinkish base. Long legs. Rich buff-brown all over. Cinnamon wing linings. Orangish stripe in wings. Breeding plumage with barring across chest. Nonbreeding plumage with plain breast.

• Size: 42-48 cm (17-19 in)
• Weight: 285-454 g (10.06-16.03 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar, but male smaller and with brighter bill base and more extensive barring when breeding.

Sound

Call nasal, slightly crowing or laughing "ah, ha" or "ahk."

Conservation Status

Declined dramatically in 1800s. Current populations appear stable.

Other Names

Barge marbrée (French)
Picopando canelo (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• Nests of the Marbled Godwit are not easily found, as these birds do not readily flush off of their eggs. Incubating adults can sometimes be picked up from the nest.

• The Marbled Godwit was long regarded as showing no noticeable geographic variation until measurements of birds breeding in Alaska showed these populations to have shorter wings and legs than Great Plains godwits.

Sources used to construct this page:

Gratto-Trevor, C. L. 2000. Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa). In The Birds of North America, No. 492 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.