- Hudsonian Godwit
Taxobox
name = Hudsonian Godwit
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo =Charadriiformes
familia =Scolopacidae
genus = "Limosa"
species = "L. haemastica"
binomial = "Limosa haemastica"
binomial_authority = (Linnaeus, 1758)The Hudsonian Godwit, "Limosa haemastica", is a largeshorebird .Identification
Adults have long dark legs and a long pink bill with a slight upward curve and dark at the tip. The upper parts are mottled brown and the underparts are chestnut. The tail is black and the rump is white. They show black wing linings in flight.
Breeding and Nesting
Their breeding habitat is the far north near the tree line in northwestern
Canada andAlaska , also on the shores ofHudson Bay . They nest on the ground, in a well-concealed location in amarsh y area. The female usually lays 4 eggs. Both parents look after the young birds, who find their own food and are able to fly within a month of birth.Migration
They migrate to
South America . These birds gather atJames Bay before fall migration. In good weather, many birds make the trip south without stopping.They can perhaps be most easily seen in migration on the east coast of North America at a place called South Beach in Chatham, MA where they can be plentiful in migration. Late July through early August appears to be the most plentiful time for the bird there and can be seen in the tens (usually a few individuals) to a hundred (rare) at a time.
Diet
These birds forage by probing in shallow water. They mainly eat insects and crustaceans.
Conservation History
Their numbers were reduced by hunting at the end of the
19th century .References
* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
External links
* [http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i2510id.html Hudsonian Godwit - "Limosa haemastica"] - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
* [http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Hudsonian_Godwit.html Hudsonian Godwit Species Account] - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
* [http://www.sdakotabirds.com/species/hudsonian_godwit_info.htm Hudsonian Godwit Information and Photos] - South Dakota Birds and Birding
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