Hudsonian Godwit

Hey guys welcome back. Today we have a large shorebird with a pretty limited range. The Hudsonian godwit is a large, tall shorebird with a long, slightly upturned bill. In breeding plumage, the Hudsonian godwit has a bright rusty orange with a dark mottled brown back. The bill is orange with a black tip. Non-breeding birds are a fairly plain brown. They look similar in size and shape to the marbled godwit, however the plumage is different.

The Hudsonian godwit’s range is very limited. They breed in only a small section of Canada, along the Hudson Bay (hence their name), and winter in southern South America. During spring migration, they travel up through the middle of the country. In fall most travel over open ocean, sometimes flying thousands of miles nonstop. They do make infrequent appearances along the Atlantic coast. That’s where I saw my one and only Hudsonian godwit. It was at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Jamaica, Queens. Although still a novice art shorebirds at the time, the only thing a godwit looks like is another godwit, and the plumage (especially in non-breeding season) is different enough from the marbled godwit that I was able to confidently ID the bird. Next time, we’ll take a break from shorebirds, but we’re sticking with a similar habitat. Blue-winged teal is next. See you then!