A symbol of endurance and wonder – the Bar-tailed Godwit

The Remarkable Life of the Bar-tailed Godwit

The bar-tailed godwit is a long-distance migratory bird. It is known for making the longest non-stop flight of any bird.

They are medium-sized waders with long, slightly upturned bills. Here’s one at Seaton Wetlands:

Bar-tailed godwits breed in the Arctic regions of Alaska, Scandinavia, and Siberia. During the summer, they raise their chicks in the tundra. After breeding, they migrate thousands of kilometers to warmer areas. Their most famous route is from Alaska to New Zealand. This journey is about 12,000 kilometres (7,500 miles) and they fly this distance non-stop for around 8 to 11 days. They do not rest, eat, or drink during the flight. It is the longest non-stop migration ever recorded in birds.

To prepare, Bar-tailed Godwits eat voraciously to double their body weight, storing fat for the energy they will need. Their bodies also change – they shrink their stomachs and grow stronger flight muscles. Some use stopover points on their long migration, rather than flying direct. These healthy wetland stopover points help them rest and feed and are vitally important around the world. Sadly, some of the Bar-tailed Godwit’s stopover sites are disappearing. Pollution and habitat loss are big threats to their continuing existence.

Have you seen one? Bar-tailed Godwits use the wind and weather to help them fly faster. They fly high in the sky, sometimes over oceans and storms and they return to the same places every year. They are a symbol of endurance and wonder and their migratory journey is one of nature’s greatest marvels.