The black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa) belongs to the family of snipes and godwits, the Scolopacidae.
The black-tailed godwit species is distributed in the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa and Asia. These godwit species are listed by IUCN as “Near Threatened”. These godwits are polytypic species.
The godwit lives in coastal mudflats and sandy intertidal zones, also inland saline and freshwater marshes. Inland, more likely to be found in freshwater.
Found breeding in Iceland throughout Europe, Siberia and Australia, the Indian Subcontinent, West Africa and parts of Western Europe.
With its long beak, white-barred wings and namesake tail, the Black-Tailed Godwit is a distinctive and elegant bird. The godwit breeds from Iceland all the way through Europe and Siberia to parts of central Asia. It has a diverse migration pattern spanning the Indian Subcontinent, Australia, West Africa and parts of Western Europe.
Gregarious medium-sized wader with a long, slightly uptilted bill. Note the very long, pink-based bill. Breeding plumage has bright rusty head and breast, dark barring on belly; nonbreeding plumage has rather plain grayish head, breast, and upperparts, unlike streaked breast and back of Bar-tailed Godwit. In flight shows bold white wing stripe, white rump, and black tail. Fairly common but often local; breeds in grassy wetlands, and found year-round in fresh and brackish marshes, and on adjacent tidal flats. Feeds mainly by wading in deep water, probing with its long bill.
The main threat for this species is habitat loss. Draining wetlands for dams and agricultural use throughout its main breeding and wintering ranges has left the Godwit homeless. The IUCN Red List categorizes the Black-Tailed Godwit as near threatened-it is estimated that the world population has declined by between 14 and 33 per cent in the past 15 years, according to Bird Life International.
This was photographed at Nalsarover, Gujarat, India.
These rare photographs have been clicked and contributed by K. Shiva Kumar, a professional Wildlife Storyteller (M.A in Journalism & Mass Communication, an alumnus of Central University Of Odisha, Koraput) from Hyderabad, Telangana.