Hudsonian Godwit

Once thought to be very rare, even endangered, this big sandpiper was probably just overlooked on its long migration between the Arctic and southern South America. In spring it moves north across the Great Plains, pausing at marshes and flooded fields more often than at the mudflats thronged by other shorebirds. In fall, most fly nonstop from James Bay, Canada, to South America. Some stop in fall on our Atlantic Coast, especially when driven there by northeasterly winds.