Black-Tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) lives in wet grasslands across Europe, Africa, Asia. It feeds on insects & crustaceans. Its conservation status is Near Threatened.
Hear the Black-Tailed Godwit
A real field recording of the Black-Tailed Godwit, made in the wild.
The longest-lived black-tailed godwit on record lived to 29 years 2 months. It was colour-ringed as a juvenile on 30 August 1996 at The Wash in England and subsequently observed on 91 separate occasions, even returning to breed in northern Iceland. Such longevity is exceptional for a wader, showing that individuals can survive many migratory cycles across continents. Its age was confirmed in a 2025 update to the species' monitoring data.
Juvenile black-tailed godwits face very high early mortality. In a Dutch study, 37.6 % of birds died during their first year, 32 % in the second year, and 36.9 % thereafter. These figures indicate that more than a third of the cohort are lost each year after fledging. Such losses heavily influence population dynamics, especially given the species' Near-Threatened status.
When feeding in water, black-tailed godwits probe their long bills up to 36 times each minute, often submerging the head completely to capture invertebrates. This rapid probing allows them to exploit soft, muddy substrates where prey are abundant. On land they use the same technique, inserting the bill into soft ground and also picking items from the surface.
The black-tailed godit's bill measures between 7.5 cm and 12 cm, and together with its dark-grey to black legs it helps distinguish it from the similar bar-tailed godwit when the bird is on the ground. Its long, straight bill is used for rapid probing in water and soft mud, allowing the bird to capture invertebrates efficiently.
In France, legal hunting removes between 6 000 and 8 000 black-tailed godwits each winter, adding a notable source of mortality to an already declining species. This harvest pressure occurs while the global population is estimated at roughly 450 000 to 585 000 mature individuals and the species is listed as Near Threatened because numbers have fallen about 25 % over three generations.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
As the Black-Tailed Godwit glides effortlessly across the marshy wetlands, its slender silhouette is set aflame by the golden light of dawn, its long, probing bill twitching with an unrelenting hunger for the hidden treasures of the mud. With a fluid, economical motion, it wades through the shallow waters, its grey-brown feathers blending seamlessly into the muted hues of its surroundings, as if the very landscape itself had given rise to this elegant, enigmatic creature. In its annual migrations, the Black-Tailed Godwit undertakes a remarkable journey of thousands of miles, a testament to its unyielding resilience and enduring spirit.
Advertisement
Hear the Black-Tailed Godwit, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
