Black-tailed Godwit

A long-legged, long-billed wader with a bold black-and-white flight pattern.

A recording has not been added yet. Use the identification notes below for now.

I know this bird · Record a sighting Where to look & how to find it ↓

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Season first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: Mainly autumn to spring, including passage
Where to start: Shallow wetland reserve margins, flooded fields and estuary viewpoints.
What to do when you arrive: View long-legged, long-billed waders in shallows and wet grassland, comparing the straighter bill. Black-and-white wing and tail markings help in natural flight; never flush them to see these.

Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

SPECIES NOTESSpecies notes

How to identify it

Long, fairly straight two-toned bill. Broad white wing-bars, white rump and black tail band in flight. Orange-headed in breeding plumage, grey in winter; flight pattern separates it from Bar-tailed Godwit.

Habitat

Marshes, shallow lakes, wet grassland, estuaries and water margins.

Behaviour

Probes deeply for invertebrates in wet fields and mudflats.

When to look

Mainly autumn to spring, including passage

Where to look

Shallow wetland reserve margins, flooded fields and estuary viewpoints.

Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.

Further reading:BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · Wikipedia ↗

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