Hudsonian Godwit
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[Photo] Hudsonian Godwit from USFWS. Source: Great Lakes-Big Rivers, Region 3, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo by: Deanne Endrizzi, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The Hudsonian Godwit, Limosa haemastica, is a large shorebird.

Identification
Adults have long dark legs and a long pink bill with a slight upward curve and dark at the tip. The upper parts are mottled brown and the underparts are chestnut. The tail is black and the rump is white. They show black wing linings in flight.

Breeding and Nesting
Their breeding habitat is the far north near the tree line in northwestern Canada and Alaska, also on the shores of Hudson Bay. They nest on the ground, in a well-concealed location in a marshy area. The female usually lays 4 eggs. Both parents look after the young birds, who find their own food and are able to fly within a month of birth.

Migration
They migrate to South America. These birds gather at James Bay before fall migration. In good weather, many birds make the trip south without stopping.

Diet
These birds forage by probing in shallow water. They mainly eat insects and crustaceans.

Conservation History
Their numbers were reduced by hunting at the end of the 19th century.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudsonian_Godwit

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