Hudsonian godwit

The Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) is a large shorebird in the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae. The genus name Limosa is from Latin and means "muddy", from limus, "mud". The specific haemastica is from Ancient Greek and means "bloody". An 18th century name for this bird was red-breasted godwit.[2] The English term "godwit" was first recorded in about 1416–7 and is believed to imitate the bird's call.[3]

Hudsonian godwit

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Limosa
Species:
L. haemastica
Binomial name
Limosa haemastica
Synonyms
  • Scolopax haemastica Linnaeus, 1758

Description

Adults have long dark legs and a long pink bill with a slight upward curve and dark at the tip. The upper parts are mottled brown and the underparts are chestnut. The tail is black and the rump is white. They show black wing linings in flight. The legs and feet are bluish-grey.[4]

Standard Measurements[4][5]
length14.5–16.7 in (370–420 mm)
weight300 g (11 oz)
wingspan29 in (740 mm)
wing195.5–208.5 mm (7.70–8.21 in)
tail70–83.8 mm (2.76–3.30 in)
culmen68.2–81.2 mm (2.69–3.20 in)
tarsus53.5–59.5 mm (2.11–2.34 in)

Breeding

Their breeding habitat is the far north near the tree line in northwestern Canada and Alaska, also on the shores of Hudson Bay. They nest on the ground, in a well-concealed location in a marshy area. The female usually lays 4 olive-buff eggs marked with darker splotches. Incubation period is 22 days.[4] Both parents look after the young birds, who find their own food and are able to fly within a month of hatching.

Migration

They migrate to South America. These birds gather at James Bay before fall migration. In good weather, many birds make the trip south without stopping. They are vagrants to Europe, Australia, and South Africa.

They can perhaps be most easily seen in migration on the east coast of North America where they can be plentiful in migration in late July through early August.

Diet

These birds forage by probing in shallow water. They mainly eat insects and crustaceans.

Conservation history

Their numbers were reduced by hunting at the end of the 19th century.

References
  1. BirdLife International (2016). "Limosa haemastica". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: 2016: e.T22693154A93386036. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22693154A93386036.en.
  2. Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 184, 227. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  3. "Godwit". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. September 2005. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. Godfrey, W. Earl (1966). The Birds of Canada. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada. p. 163.
  5. Sibley, David Allen (2000). The Sibley Guide to Birds. New York: Knopf. p. 177. ISBN 0-679-45122-6.
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