Bar-tailed godwit

Scientific name: Limosa lapponica

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Slender wading bird with a long, slightly upturned bill and relatively long legs. Males are smaller and more rufous-breasted during breeding; females are larger, greyer, and retain barring on tail year-round.

Size and weight

Males 37–41 cm, 190–330 g; females 39–43 cm, 250–430 g.

Habitat

Bar-tailed godwits breed in open tundra and wet moorlands with low vegetation, typically near water. They winter in coastal mudflats, estuaries, and shallow marine environments.

Distribution

Breeds across northern Siberia and Scandinavia; winters primarily in West Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and coastal regions from the Mediterranean to Southeast Asia.

Diet

Feeds on invertebrates including small crustaceans, molluscs, and marine worms; probes mud and shallow water for prey, with diet varying by habitat and season.

Behaviour

Highly migratory and diurnal; often feeds in flocks on tidal flats and moves with tide cycles. Social and vocal during breeding season; long-distance travellers with some populations undertaking transoceanic flights.

Hunting tips

Look for tracks and probing marks in soft mud and sand at low tide. Approach coastal flats early morning or late afternoon when birds are feeding actively. Use natural cover (dunes, creek banks) and move slowly into wind; birds are wary and flush easily, so spot-and-stalk is most effective.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

France

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.