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Difference between revisions of "Bar-tailed Godwit" - BirdForum Opus

(more details)
(Photo captions & placements. References updated)
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[[Image:Bar-tailed_Godwit.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Adult winter nominate ''L. l. lapponica'', Titchwell, Norfolk. Photo by {{user|Ragna|Ragna}}]]
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[[Image:Bar-tailed_Godwit.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Adult winter nominate ''L. l. lapponica''<br />Photo by {{user|Ragna|Ragna}}<br />[[Titchwell Marsh]], [[Norfolk]], November 2003 ]]
 
;[[:Category:Limosa|Limosa]] lapponica
 
;[[:Category:Limosa|Limosa]] lapponica
  
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In '''juvenile''' plumage: breast pale buff-grey, back patterned with white and buffy-grey, upturned bill bicoloured, and long supercilium extending back past eye.<br />
 
In '''juvenile''' plumage: breast pale buff-grey, back patterned with white and buffy-grey, upturned bill bicoloured, and long supercilium extending back past eye.<br />
 
In '''flight''': inner wings grey, outer wing dark grey; no wingbar. Tail finely barred grey. Rump and lower back white or grey, depending on subspecies.
 
In '''flight''': inner wings grey, outer wing dark grey; no wingbar. Tail finely barred grey. Rump and lower back white or grey, depending on subspecies.
 +
[[Image:barwit_breeding.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Adult summer nominate ''L. l. lapponica''<br />Photo by {{user|postcardcv|postcardcv}}<br />[[Titchwell Marsh]], [[Norfolk]] ]]
 
====Similar Species====
 
====Similar Species====
 
[[Black-tailed Godwit]], which has a straighter bill, solid black tail tip, and strong white wingbar; and from [[Eurasian Curlew]] and [[Whimbrel]] which both have down-curved beaks.
 
[[Black-tailed Godwit]], which has a straighter bill, solid black tail tip, and strong white wingbar; and from [[Eurasian Curlew]] and [[Whimbrel]] which both have down-curved beaks.
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
[[Image:barwit_breeding.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Adult summer nominate ''L. l. lapponica'', Titchwell, Norfolk; photo by {{user|postcardcv|postcardcv}}]]
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*Breeds in northern [[Palearctic]]: extreme northern [[Scandinavia]] ([[Norway]], [[Finland]], limited in [[Sweden]]), [[Arctic]] [[Russia]] (Kola Peninsula eastwards), and [[Alaska]].
 
*Breeds in northern [[Palearctic]]: extreme northern [[Scandinavia]] ([[Norway]], [[Finland]], limited in [[Sweden]]), [[Arctic]] [[Russia]] (Kola Peninsula eastwards), and [[Alaska]].
 
*Migration most active March to early June (south to north), and August-October (north to south). Seen regularly en route through the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Atlantic coasts. Rare to find any distance inland.
 
*Migration most active March to early June (south to north), and August-October (north to south). Seen regularly en route through the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Atlantic coasts. Rare to find any distance inland.
 
*Winters to southern [[Africa]] and [[Australasia]]. Immature birds (one year old) often remain in the wintering range for their entire first summer.
 
*Winters to southern [[Africa]] and [[Australasia]]. Immature birds (one year old) often remain in the wintering range for their entire first summer.
 
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[[Image:BARTGODWIT019.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile ''L. l. lapponica''<br /> Photo by {{user|I4ani|I4ani}}<br />Brignogan Plage, Brittany, [[France]], September 2008]]
 
====Vagrancy====
 
====Vagrancy====
 
Vagrant north to [[Svalbard]], [[Iceland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]]; [[Cyprus]] and eastern [[Mediterranean]] countries; [[Madeira]] and the [[Azores]]. Casual vagrant in [[North America]] on both coasts.
 
Vagrant north to [[Svalbard]], [[Iceland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]]; [[Cyprus]] and eastern [[Mediterranean]] countries; [[Madeira]] and the [[Azores]]. Casual vagrant in [[North America]] on both coasts.
  
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
[[Image:BARTGODWIT019.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile ''L. l. lapponica'' in flight. Photo by {{user|I4ani|I4ani}}<br />Brignogan Plage, Brittany, [[France]], September 2008]]
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====Subspecies====
 
Two to four subspecies are accepted<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#References|[3]]]</sup>:
 
Two to four subspecies are accepted<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#References|[3]]]</sup>:
*''L. l. lapponica'':
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*''L. l. lapponica'': Rump and lower back white; underwing white.
::[[Lapland]] to NW Siberia; winters W Europe to [[Africa]]. Rump and lower back white; underwing white.
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:*[[Lapland]] to north-western [[Siberia]]; winters western [[Europe]] to [[Africa]].  
*''L. l. taymyrensis'':
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*''L. l. taymyrensis'': Intermediate between ''L. l. lapponica'' and ''L. l. menzbieri''.
::Central Siberia (Taymyr Peninsula); winters SW Asia and [[India]] (included in ''L. l. lapponica'' by some authors). Intermediate between ''L. l. lapponica'' and ''L. l. menzbieri''.
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:*Central Siberia (Taymyr Peninsula); winters south-western [[Asia]] and [[India]] (included in ''L. l. lapponica'' by some authors).
*''L. l. menzbieri'':
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*''L. l. menzbieri'': Intermediate; rump, lower back and underwing lightly barred grey.
::Northeastern [[Siberia]]; winters SE [[Asia]] to coastal [[Australia]], [[Tasmania]] (included in ''L. l. baueri'' by some authors). Intermediate; rump, lower back and underwing lightly barred grey.
+
:*North-eastern Siberia; winters south-eastern Asia to coastal [[Australia]], [[Tasmania]] (included in ''L. l. baueri'' by some authors).  
*''L. l. baueri'':
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*''L. l. baueri'': Rump and lower back barred grey as in the back and tail; underwing strongly barred.
::Far northeastern [[Siberia]] to western [[Alaska]]; winters [[New Zealand]]. Rump and lower back barred grey as in the back and tail; underwing strongly barred.
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:*Far north-eastern Siberia to western [[Alaska]]; winters [[New Zealand]].  
 
 
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
 
*Coastal estuaries and sheltered sandy shores.
 
*Coastal estuaries and sheltered sandy shores.
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==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
A very strong migrant; ''L. l. baueri'' makes the longest non-stop flights of any bird, over 11,500 km from [[Alaska]] to [[New Zealand]] during autumn migration (but two stages on spring migration, with a stop-over on the east coast of China)<sup>[[#References|[4]]]</sup>.  
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A very strong migrant; ''L. l. baueri'' makes the longest non-stop flights of any bird, over 11,500 km from [[Alaska]] to [[New Zealand]] during autumn migration (but two stages on spring migration, with a stop-over on the east coast of [[China]])<sup>[[#References|[4]]]</sup>.  
  
 
Very gregarious in the winter, forming huge flocks with other waders at the water's edge.
 
Very gregarious in the winter, forming huge flocks with other waders at the water's edge.
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''[[Media:Limosa lapponica (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
 
''[[Media:Limosa lapponica (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
 
==References==
 
==References==
#{{Ref-Clements6thDec08}}#{{Ref-GillDonsker14V4.3}}#{{Ref-HBWVol3}}#Gill, R. E., Tibbitts, T. L., Douglas, D. C., Handel, C. M., Mulcahy, D. M., Gottschalck, J. C., Warnock, N., McCaffery, B. J., Battley, P. F., & Piersma, T. (2008). Extreme endurance flights by landbirds crossing the Pacific Ocean: ecological corridor rather than barrier? ''Proc Biol Sci''. [http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/avian_influenza/pdfs/Gill_et_al_2008_Godwit_Migration.pdf 276 (1656): 447–457].
+
#{{Ref-Clements6thAug14}}#{{Ref-GillDonsker14V4.3}}#{{Ref-HBWVol3}}#Gill, R. E., Tibbitts, T. L., Douglas, D. C., Handel, C. M., Mulcahy, D. M., Gottschalck, J. C., Warnock, N., McCaffery, B. J., Battley, P. F., & Piersma, T. (2008). Extreme endurance flights by landbirds crossing the Pacific Ocean: ecological corridor rather than barrier? ''Proc Biol Sci''. [http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/avian_influenza/pdfs/Gill_et_al_2008_Godwit_Migration.pdf 276 (1656): 447–457].
 
#Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
 
#Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
 
#Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
 
#Collins Field Guide 5th Edition

Revision as of 23:09, 6 March 2015

Adult winter nominate L. l. lapponica
Photo by Ragna
Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk, November 2003
Limosa lapponica

Identification

In breeding plumage: belly rufous with no or little barring, upperparts dark, and bill slightly upturned, dark with paler base.
In non-breeding plumage: breast finely streaked grey, belly whitish, back grey with streaking, bill bicoloured with pink base, and long supercilium extending back past eye.
In juvenile plumage: breast pale buff-grey, back patterned with white and buffy-grey, upturned bill bicoloured, and long supercilium extending back past eye.
In flight: inner wings grey, outer wing dark grey; no wingbar. Tail finely barred grey. Rump and lower back white or grey, depending on subspecies.

Adult summer nominate L. l. lapponica
Photo by postcardcv
Titchwell Marsh, Norfolk

Similar Species

Black-tailed Godwit, which has a straighter bill, solid black tail tip, and strong white wingbar; and from Eurasian Curlew and Whimbrel which both have down-curved beaks.

Distribution

  • Breeds in northern Palearctic: extreme northern Scandinavia (Norway, Finland, limited in Sweden), Arctic Russia (Kola Peninsula eastwards), and Alaska.
  • Migration most active March to early June (south to north), and August-October (north to south). Seen regularly en route through the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Atlantic coasts. Rare to find any distance inland.
  • Winters to southern Africa and Australasia. Immature birds (one year old) often remain in the wintering range for their entire first summer.
Juvenile L. l. lapponica
Photo by I4ani
Brignogan Plage, Brittany, France, September 2008

Vagrancy

Vagrant north to Svalbard, Iceland and the Faroe Islands; Cyprus and eastern Mediterranean countries; Madeira and the Azores. Casual vagrant in North America on both coasts.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Two to four subspecies are accepted[1][2][3]:

  • L. l. lapponica: Rump and lower back white; underwing white.
  • L. l. taymyrensis: Intermediate between L. l. lapponica and L. l. menzbieri.
  • Central Siberia (Taymyr Peninsula); winters south-western Asia and India (included in L. l. lapponica by some authors).
  • L. l. menzbieri: Intermediate; rump, lower back and underwing lightly barred grey.
  • North-eastern Siberia; winters south-eastern Asia to coastal Australia, Tasmania (included in L. l. baueri by some authors).
  • L. l. baueri: Rump and lower back barred grey as in the back and tail; underwing strongly barred.

Habitat

  • Coastal estuaries and sheltered sandy shores.
  • Arctic breeding habitat is lowland tundra; sometimes in upland areas and among trees.

Behaviour

A very strong migrant; L. l. baueri makes the longest non-stop flights of any bird, over 11,500 km from Alaska to New Zealand during autumn migration (but two stages on spring migration, with a stop-over on the east coast of China)[4].

Very gregarious in the winter, forming huge flocks with other waders at the water's edge.

Diet

The diet includes worms, snails and insects.

Breeding

It nests on the ground, usually in short vegetation, in marshy areas above the tree-line.

Vocalisation

<flashmp3>Limosa lapponica (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2014. IOC World Bird Names (version 4.3). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
  3. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1996. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334207
  4. Gill, R. E., Tibbitts, T. L., Douglas, D. C., Handel, C. M., Mulcahy, D. M., Gottschalck, J. C., Warnock, N., McCaffery, B. J., Battley, P. F., & Piersma, T. (2008). Extreme endurance flights by landbirds crossing the Pacific Ocean: ecological corridor rather than barrier? Proc Biol Sci. 276 (1656): 447–457.
  5. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
  6. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
  7. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

Recommended Citation

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