Black-tailed godwit call: Olivier Swift, Helene Cartaud, Xeno-Canto
Black-tailed godwit
Black-tailed godwit
Limosa Limosa
Wingspan: 70-82cm
Thousands of these elegant wading birds spend the winter on the Solent coast, making this area internationally important for this red‑listed species. You can spot them along the New Forest coastline and around the muddy harbours of Portsmouth, Langstone and Chichester.
All about black-tailed godwit
Black‑tailed godwits travel more than 1,000 miles from Iceland to reach the Solent each winter – an incredible journey for a bird that weighs less than 300 g.
In winter, they look mostly soft grey‑brown, much plainer than the bright orange‑brown colours they show in the breeding season. They have long legs, long straight beaks and clear black‑and‑white wing stripes, which you can see easily when they fly.
Females are a little bigger than males and have slightly longer bills. This may help the two sexes avoid competing for the same food.
Their scientific name, Limosa limosa, means “muddy muddy” in Latin – a perfect fit for a bird that spends so much time feeding in estuary mud.
Feeding and roosting habits
Black‑tailed godwits are large wading birds and often gather in big flocks in winter, so they’re usually easy to spot. At low tide, you’ll see them feeding together, quickly poking their beaks up and down in the mud – a bit like a sewing machine needle.
Their long, sensitive bills help them find worms and shellfish hidden deep below the surface. The tip of the bill can bend slightly, which helps them feel for food they can’t see.
At high tide, they rest in large groups on safe spots such as saltmarsh and shingle islands, where they’re far from predators.
Godwits’ migration stories
We know a lot about black‑tailed godwit migration thanks to an international network of birdwatchers. Around 1.5% of the Icelandic population is marked with colour rings, and more than half of these birds have been tracked to their winter sites.
Black‑tailed godwit pairs split up for the winter and usually stay about 1,000 km apart. Yet they somehow reunite in Iceland in spring – often arriving only a few days apart. It’s a remarkable example of perfect timing.
This long‑term monitoring shows how important the Solent is for the species during the winter months.
Conservation status
Black-tailed godwits are red listed in the UK meaning they are of the highest conservation concern..
They are a qualifying feature for the Solent and Southampton Water and Portsmouth Harbour Special Protection Areas – that means, when the sites were designated, a nationally significant number of the species used the areas.
Find out more about the Special Protection Areas on the Solent.
Telling apart black-tailed and bar-tailed godwits
These two species can be tricky to distinguish, but there are reliable clues:
- In flight:
- Black‑tailed godwits show bold white wing bars and have longer legs, with their feet extending beyond their tail.
- Bar‑tailed godwits lack white wing bars.
- On the ground:
- Black‑tailed godwits have a straight bill.
- Bar‑tailed godwits have a slightly upturned bill.
Did you know?
Black‑tailed godwit pairs go their separate ways for the winter and often spend the colder months 1,000 km apart. Even so, they manage to meet up again in Iceland in spring – usually arriving only a few days apart. It’s a brilliant example of perfect timing in nature.
