Hudsonian Godwit
Limosa haemastica
- Family
- Sandpipers and Allies (Scolopacidae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) is a large shorebird in the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae. It is an extreme long-distance migrant, breeding at remote sites in Subarctic North America and flying nonstop in the fall to wintering sites in southern South America. Due to its remote breeding and wintering grounds and rapid, direct migration, it was a poorly-known species and was considered very rare until the mid-20th century, when major staging sites were discovered around James Bay and breeding sites were found around Churchill, Manitoba. Since then, the Hudsonian godwit has become the target of conservation attention due to its fragmented and localized distribution and small population, as well as an important scientific system for migration biology research.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds patchily in low Arctic bogs near treeline, in western and south-central Alaska, northern and south-central Northwest Territories, and southwestern Hudson Bay (northwestern to east-central Canada); winters mainly to temperate coastal wetlands, where highly localized, in northern Peru to southern Chile and southern Brazil to southern Argentina.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Hudsonian godwit
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
