Mud and Bar-Tailed Godwits

The Bar-Tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica, is a large migratory wader.

Calling them migratory is one of the world’s greatest understatements. One of their sub-species flies from Alaska to New Zealand non-stop. To accomplish that, they fly day and night for between eight and eleven days. That is the longest known non-stop flight made by any bird. It is also the longest journey without stopping for food by any animal. It’s a journey of over 18,020 miles.

We are surrounded by natural miracles.

They have to build up large fat reserves to complete the journey. God-whit means ‘good creature’, probably because they are good to eat.