Guide to North American Birds

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The rarest of the four godwits in our area, the Black-tail nests in Eurasia and is only a stray to North America. In Alaska it may be a rare but regular migrant in spring in the Aleutian Islands. On our Atlantic Coast it is only casual or accidental, but strays have been found in several states and provinces, from Newfoundland to Florida.
Family Sandpipers
The rarest of the four godwits in our area, the Black-tail nests in Eurasia and is only a stray to North America. In Alaska it may be a rare but regular migrant in spring in the Aleutian Islands. On our Atlantic Coast it is only casual or accidental, but strays have been found in several states and provinces, from Newfoundland to Florida.

Photo Gallery




Illustration © David Allen Sibley.
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Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from
Lives of North American Birds

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Songs and Calls

A loud quee-quee-quee; often silent.
Audio © Lang Elliott, Bob McGuire, Kevin Colver, Martyn Stewart and others.
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Black-tailed Godwit In the News More News

In The Field

How Different Spring Migrants Decide When to Head North

Will warmer weather bring the birds back early? It all depends on what type of migrators they are.

Explore Similar Birds

Marbled Godwit

Latin:  Limosa fedoa

Hudsonian Godwit

Latin:  Limosa haemastica

Bar-tailed Godwit

Latin:  Limosa lapponica

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