Bar-tailed Godwit

Scientific Name: Limosa lapponica
Malay Name: Kedidi-Raja Ekor Belang
Chinese Name: 斑尾塍鹬

Range:
Breeds in northern Palearctic, Alaska. Winters along the coast of Africa, Europe, Asia and Australasia.

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: lapponica, taymyrensis, menzbieri, baueri.

Size: 37-41 cm

Identification:
A fairly large wader with long blackish legs, rather long neck, a long, tapering, slightly upturned bi-coloured bill: pink at the base and black towards the tip. Breeding plumage is dark brick-red below (male) or chestnut to cinnamon (female); nonbreeding plumage is overall gray-brown with white belly. In flight shows rather plain upperwings with only a faint whitish wing stripe. White tail with blackish bars separate it from the Black-tailed Godwit.

Similar looking species: Asian Dowitcher, Black-tailed Godwit

Habitat: Mudflats, sandflats, beaches and brackish coastal lagoons. 

Behaviour/Ecology:  Feeds on open mud, sand and in shallower water by probing its long bill into the mud.

Local Status: Uncommon migrant

Conservation Status: Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2017)

Location: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Mandai Mudflat, Chek Jawa at Pulau Ubin.

Featured articles:

• Bird List Revision for May 2019 (Revisions)
• Migrant bar charts – Aug 28 update (Blog)

Featured reports: Mar 2022, Apr 2022

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Bar-tailed Godwit at Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin. Photo credit: Francis Yap

Bar-tailed Godwit at SBWR. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Bar-tailed Godwit at Mandai Mudflat. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Bar-tailed Godwit at SBWR. Photo Credit: Francis Yap