Black-tailed Godwit
Photo: Andreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5

Sandpipers and Allies

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosa

NTNear Threatened
Family
Sandpipers and Allies (Scolopacidae)
Order
Charadriiformes

Overview

The black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa) is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the godwit genus, Limosa. There are four subspecies, all with orange head, neck and chest in breeding plumage and dull grey-brown winter coloration, and distinctive black and white wingbar at all times.
Its breeding range stretches from Iceland through Europe and areas of central Asia.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.