Nature Page

Black-Tailed Godwit –

LIMOSA LIMOSA

By: Marj Webber

Over the years I have written several articles on the more common Bartailed Godwits so today will write on Black-tailed Godwits which are far less likely to be seen on Bribie Island. A probable place to view them is at Kakadu Shore Bird Roost. The above photographs were taken at Toorbul. Black-tailed Godwits are largish birds 3643 cm in length, 201-300 g in weight with a wingspan of 63-75 cm and an almost straight pink and black bill 7.5-12 cm in length. Females are a little larger with bills longer than males. They are brown birds, less streaked than Bar-tailed Godwits with black tails, white rumps and wide, white streaks in the wings which are all visible during flight. On the ground, they can easily be mistaken for Bar-tailed Godwits but in flight, there is no mistaking the difference. During breeding, heads and necks turn a bright chestnut colour while chest feathers are broken into short streaks. Females are less colourful during this time. Many birds have begun to colour up before leaving for their mammoth journey to the north which is about to begin right now. Black-tailed Godwits have longer legs, straighter bills and are smaller and leaner than Bar-tailed Godwits. While breeding in the Arctic their calls are melodious but, on our shores, during non-breeding, they usually only call when threatened or to connect with each other. Their average lifespan is 5 years, but some birds have been known to live for over 30 years. During the month of August Godwits begin arriving after flights of thousands of klms from Mongolia, Siberia and Alaska to our area, coastlines and inland muddy areas around Australia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and PNG. Although they prefer mudflats to sandy areas, they are often in the company of their more prolific relatives Bar-tailed Godwits on sandy shores. Their stay lasts till late March- April when they fly off again to breed in the Northern Hemisphere. Some birds, mainly young ones, remain in Australia for one or two seasons before they begin to develop their breeding plumage. After their long flights, their feathers are often damaged, and they have lost a big proportion of their body weight, so spend their time resting and feeding to recuperate and gain weight ready for their next long journey. That is why it is important not to disturb them when resting and feeding. They are more common in northern areas and often congregate in small to large flocks in the inland. It has been estimated that up to 80 000 Blacktailed Godwits spend their summer in Australia and around 160 000 flies the East Asian-Australasian flyway twice a year. When flying long distances, they can sleep using half their brain while still being able to navigate. Preferred foods are insects, worms, frog eggs and tadpoles, crustaceans, and molluscs. These foods are collected by foraging in water, often up to their bellies, and stabbing with their sharp bills into the mud. Aquatic vegetation is added to their diet during migration. They arrive at their grassy, wetland breeding grounds during May in Mongolia, Siberia, and Alaska. Black-tailed Godwits are monogamous, and their partnership lasts for many years. Each year after their long holiday to the south, pairs meet up again in their breeding grounds within 3 days of each other. If one of the pair does not arrive, then another mate is selected. Unattached males perform colourful flights to attract females. Nests are shallow scrapes on the ground usually amongst low vegetation. 3-6 brownish-olive eggs are laid. Both parents incubate the eggs for about 22-24 days. When the babies hatch, they are guided away from the nests by their parents to wetter areas where there is more food. Chicks fledge after about 25-30 days. The mortality rate in their first couple of years of life is very high. Black-tailed Godwits were first described in 1758. The name Limosa is from the Latin word limus meaning “mud” and were probably named because they prefer muddy areas to the sand. The Black-tailed Godwit was named the national bird of the Netherlands in 2015. Their main threats are disturbances at their roosting sites with people walking, fishing, boating, swimming, letting dogs off their leash, riding horses and driving 4WDrives. Development has claimed some of their habitats in Australia and along their flyways. Water pollution can be a factor in harming their health and erosion may make their grounds inhabitable. In the past hunting claimed the lives of thousands of birds each year. Conservation status has been classified “Near Threatened” in 2006 by Birdlife International. Populations are decreasing.