Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica
The bar-tailed godwit is a large and strongly migratory wader in the family Scolopacidae, which feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries. It has distinctive red breeding plumage, long legs, and a long upturned bill.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar-tailed_godwit
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Scolopacidae
Genus
Limosa
Bar-tailed Godwit belongs to the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes, within the Aves class.
Species Profile
The bar-tailed godwit is a large and strongly migratory wader in the family Scolopacidae, which feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries. It has distinctive red breeding plumage, long legs, and a long upturned bill. Bar-tailed godwits breed on Arctic coasts and tundra from Scandinavia to Alaska, and overwinter on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of Australia and New Zealand. The migration of the subspecies Limosa lapponica baueri across the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to New Zealand is the longest known non-stop flight of any bird, and also the longest journey without pausing to feed by any animal. The round-trip migration for this subspecies is over 29,000 km (18,020 mi).
The Bar-tailed Godwit faces significant threats from habitat loss and degradation of critical stopover sites along its extensive migratory routes, particularly in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Coastal development, land reclamation, and climate change impacts on tidal mudflats and estuarine environments have reduced the availability of suitable feeding and roosting areas essential for this long-distance migrant.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Breeds in Arctic and subarctic tundra, wet meadows, and marshy areas across northern Eurasia and Alaska. During migration and winter, occupies intertidal mudflats, estuaries, coastal lagoons, sandy beaches, and occasionally inland wetlands and agricultural areas.
Threats
Coastal habitat loss and reclamation
Degradation of stopover sites along migration routes
Climate change impacts on tidal ecosystems
Human disturbance at roosting and feeding sites
Pollution of coastal and estuarine environments
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (VU).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | VUVulnerable | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | VUVulnerable | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/bar-tailed-godwit