| Marbled godwit | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Scolopacidae |
| Genus: | Limosa |
| Species: | L. fedoa |
| Binomial name | |
| Limosa fedoa | |
 | |
| Range ofL. fedoa Breeding Range Non-breeding Range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Themarbled godwit (Limosa fedoa) is a large migratoryshorebird in the familyScolopacidae. On average, it is the largest of the four species ofgodwit.
In 1750 the English naturalistGeorge Edwards included an illustration and a description of the marbled godwit in the third volume of hisA Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "The Greater American Godwit". Edwards based his hand-coloured etching on a preserved specimen that had been brought to London from theHudson Bay area of Canada byJames Isham.[2] When in 1758 the Swedish naturalistCarl Linnaeus updated hisSystema Naturae for thetenth edition, he placed the marbled godwit with godwits and ibises in thegenusScolopax. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined thebinomial nameScolopax fedoa and cited Edwards' work.[3] The marbled godwit is now placed in the genusLimosa that was introduced in 1760 by the French zoologistMathurin Jacques Brisson.[4][5] The genus nameLimosa is fromLatin and means "muddy", fromlimus, "mud". The specific epithetfedoa may be anOld English name for a godwit.[6] The word was mentioned by the English naturalistWilliam Turner in 1544.[7][8]
Twosubspecies are recognised:[5]
The total length is 40–50 cm (16–20 in), including a large bill of 8–13 cm (3.1–5.1 in), and wingspan is 70–88 cm (28–35 in).[9] Body mass can vary from 240 to 520 g (8.5 to 18.3 oz). The average weight of 40 males was 326 g (11.5 oz) and that of 45 females was 391 g (13.8 oz). Bill length is from 73.9 to 131 mm (2.91 to 5.16 in). Among all the members of the sandpiper family, only thecurlews attain sizes that significantly exceed this species.[10][11]
Adults have long blue-grey legs and a very long pink bill with a slight upward curve and dark at the tip. The long neck, breast and belly are pale brown with dark bars on the breast and flanks. The back is mottled and dark. They show cinnamon wing linings in flight.
Marbled godwits breed in three distinct areas with their own unique route. The vast majority occur in mid-continental North America, followed by eastern Canada and the Alaska Peninsula, USA. In addition, the largest winter ranges are the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts of the US and Mexico.[12]
Godwits breeding in the western USA and Canada follow a route through the Utah stopover site, with a final arrival in the winter sites of Mexico and the Caribbean. Species breeding in eastern Canada migrate across the US, and stopover at sites along the Gulf of California and Mexico. Furthermore, those breeding in North and South Dakota winter in coastal Georgia.[12] The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge located at Great Salt Lake in Utah (USA), is one of the most popular stopover sites for godwits in the spring and fall.
They nest on the ground, usually in short grass.
These birds forage by probing on mudflats, inmarshes, or at the beach (see picture below). When the tide is out, they eat. In short grass, they may pick up insects by sight. They mainly eat insects andcrustaceans, but also eat parts of aquatic plants.
When the tide is in, they roost. They often sleep by standing on one leg and tucking their bill into their body (see picture below).[13]
Their numbers were reduced by hunting at the end of the 19th century. Although they have recovered somewhat since that time, their population has declined in recent times[when?] as suitable habitat is used for farming.
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