Hudsonian Godwit in Stonington and Stratford: Bird Finder for November 5

Hudsonian Godwit
Limosa haemastica

by Milan Bull
This shorebird has been visiting Stonington and Stratford this week, on its way from the far north to South America. Look for its long, upturned bill.

At one time known as the Ring-tailed Marlin, the Hudsonian Godwit is an uncommon visitor to Connecticut and is the smallest and one of the least known of the four godwit species.

Known breeding areas are widely scattered across boreal and arctic North America and account for only a small proportion of the estimated world population. Much of the breeding range clearly remains to be described. The few birds that visit Connecticut probably originate on the southern shores of James Bay and winter in South America at least as far as Paraguay and southern Brazil, however most go all the way to Tierra del Fuego.

Hudsonian Godwits were once regarded as one of North America’s rarest birds, although we now know they are actually fairly numerous. Biologists consider them highly vulnerable because their population is concentrated at only a few sites.

What it looks like: A large shorebird with a characteristic long, upturned bill, the Hudsonian Godwit is slightly larger than a Greater Yellowlegs. Fall migrants are grayish above and whitish below. In all plumages these birds display a black and white tail. In flight, the black underwing coverts clearly separate the Hudsonian from the other three godwit species — Marbled (one of which visited Connecticut last year), Bar-tailed, and Black-tailed.

Sounds: These birds are usually silent, but in flight can give a high-pitched god-whit!, or kerreck! call.

Where and how to find it: Hudsonian Godwits forage in salt marshes and on tidal mudflats, but can also be found in a wide variety of wetland and even some upland habitats. Look for them wherever shorebirds concentrate. This bird has recently been reported on the floating docks at the Brewer Stratford Marina, as well as at the first impoundment at the Barn Island Wildlife Management Area in Stonington, but it’s worth checking for at any good shorebird site.

Its large size and distinctive long, upturned bill will certainly make it stand out from the crowd.

Interesting facts: A long-range migrant, the Hudsonian Godwit apparently makes nonstop flights of several thousand miles from the subarctic to the southern tip of South America (usually, although obviously not in the case of the birds here now).

Photo by NE Birds Plus, Carolinabirds.org.