Marbled Godwit

The Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) is a large shorebird. On average, it tends to grow to be the largest of the 4 species of Godwit. These birds are rather goofy looking, having the cuteness of a Warbler, but the awkwardness of a Stork. They have distinct bills, much like most shorebirds. Their bills are “sword-like”, they are great for plunging deep into sand and mud to pull out aquatic invertebrates and plant tubers.

About Marbled Godwits

Marbled Godwits might be easiest to find on their wintering grounds, where they congregate along shorelines and estuaries along the coast. They often forage in shallow waters, sometimes just getting their feet wet and other times standing in water up to their bellies. Apart from this, these lovely birds have a plethora of identifying features and cute little “ticks” that make them hard to miss while birdwatching. In order to be a successful birdwatcher, one must know what to look for regarding the species they seek out to find! So, this is your chance to
see (well, read) what makes Marbled Godwits tick! This will make it so much easier for you to spot this majestic creature in the wild.

It is always amazing to have an arsenal of information on birds that you like, and so, let this act as your arsenal guide to Marbled Godwits! We have some of the most vital information on these remarkable creatures for you.
Today you will learn:

● Marbled Godwit Photos, Color Pattern, Song
● Marbled Godwit Size, Eating behavior, Habitat
● Marbled Godwit Range and Migration, Nesting

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Marbled Godwit Color Pattern

Marbled Godwits are generally barred above and below in brown, white, and cinnamon during the breeding season. They look similar during the nonbreeding season, save for having unbarred cinnamon-washed underparts. In-flight, it is easy to see the cinnamon underwings they have year-round. Their bills are bicolored: black at the tip and orange at the base during breeding or pink during the nonbreeding season. These birds have bizarre bills.

Description and Identification

Shorebirds have some of the most interesting bill shapes and Marbled Godwits are no exception with their swordlike bills. They plunge their two-toned, long, and slightly upturned bills deep into sand and mud to pull out aquatic invertebrates and plant tubers. These graceful shorebirds have speckles of different colors of brown with a cinnamon wash that is especially noticeable when they spread their long, pointy wings to take flight. They breed in the northern prairies and spend their winters along the coasts.

Identifying these birds is considerably easy. They are large, buffy shorebirds with exceptionally long, upturned, bicolored bills. Marbled Godwits have an overall warm coloration, especially bright on the wings in flight, which helps separate them from other Godwits. They are similar in color to Long-billed Curlews but have a very obviously different bill shape and darker legs. They breed in the wet prairies. During migration and winter, you can find these birds in a variety of shallow wetlands, especially mudflats, beaches, and estuaries. They are often in flocks with other large shorebirds like Willets and Whimbrels.

Marbled Godwit Song

On their breeding grounds, male Marbled Godwits give a ger-whit often during display flights, but also from the ground. Males and females also give a “rad-i-ca” call on the breeding grounds, especially during courtship. On the non-breeding grounds, males and females give a nasal call that sounds a bit like they are laughing.

Marbled Godwit Size

Marbled Godwits are rather large and buffy shorebirds. They are larger than Willets but smaller than Long-billed Curlews. They are approximately Crow-sized. These birds do not display sexual dimorphism, and so both the males and females of the species look similar to one another and tend to grow to be around the same size. As adults, they approximate 16.5-18.9 inches in length, with wings that span around 27.6-31.9 inches. As adults, they tend to
weigh about 285-454 grams in total.

Marbled Godwit Behavior

These amazingly bizarre birds are often seen probing into sand or mud with their long bills, in search of aquatic invertebrates and plant tubers. They sometimes walk while probing or take a few steps before burying their bills into the mud. Marbled Godwits are social outside of their breeding season and are seen foraging in groups, also alongside Willets, Whimbrels, and Long-billed Curlews.

Marbled Godwits wade through shallow waters, swim if they must, or walk through shortgrass prairies. They fly with their head slightly pulled in with their feet trailing behind and have a rather sharp profile that includes slender, pointed wings. They occasionally perch on fence posts on the breeding grounds. Godwits sleep while standing, often with their bill tucked behind the shoulder while standing on one leg. Marbled Godwits have large territories that include both feeding and nesting areas. Within these territories, males perform flight displays early in the breeding season to attract a mate. They fly up to 300 feet above the ground and circle their territory, flying with slow wingbeats and calling. Once paired, they form monogamous bonds for the breeding season. They don’t spend the nonbreeding season together, but males and females frequently return to the same area to breed year after year and often breed with the same mate. On the wintering grounds, they forage in groups with other shorebirds including Long-billed Curlews, Hudsonian Godwits, Whimbrels, and Willets.

Marbled Godwit Diet

Their diets include insects, mollusks, and crustaceans. In summer on prairies, they feed mostly on insects, including many grasshoppers; also roots and seeds of various aquatic plants, such as sedges and pondweeds. On coasts, they feed on mollusks, marine worms, crustaceans, and other such invertebrates.

Marbled Godwits eat aquatic invertebrates, earthworms, insects, aquatic plant tubers, leeches, and small fish. They probe soft substrates (mud or sand) with their bill, often submerging their head, they also pick prey from the surface. They don’t seem to mind getting their belly wet and will forage in water up to 5 inches deep.

Marbled Godwit Habitat

Marbled Godwits breed in shortgrass prairies near wetlands. They avoid areas with taller vegetation and occur more often in native grass prairies with green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, blue grama, needle-and-thread, and little bluestem. On the wintering grounds, Marbled Godwits forage and rest along coastal mudflats, estuaries, and sandy beaches.

Range and Migration

Marbled Godwits are short to long-distance migrants. They migrate to coastal wintering sites in the United States, Mexico, and Central America. They are seen migrating in flocks. Most birds move to coastal regions during the winter. Some reach South America, but most of them winter north of Panama. A few birds (possibly one-year-olds) remain in the winter range throughout the summer.

Marbled Godwit Lifecycle

Marbled Godwits lay 4, rarely 3-5 eggs. Their eggs are greenish to olive-buff and are lightly spotted with brown. Incubation is probably done by both parents, and the incubation period lasts around 21-23 days. Marbled Godwits are devoted incubators, as they may sit motionless even when approached closely during the incubation period. They are also a very independent species. Once hatched, the downy young leave their nests soon after hatching. Both parents tend to their young, but the young find all their food on their own. The age at which the young have their first flight is roughly 3 weeks old. Once they take flight and leave their nests for good, Marbled Godwits go on to live long and full
lives, with the oldest recorded bird (in the wild!) living to see 13.7 years of age!

Nesting

These birds may nest in loose colonies. Males of the species display over breeding territory by flying over the area and calling loudly. On the ground, members of a pair may go through ritualized nest-scrape-making displays.

The nest site is on the ground, usually in short grass on dry spots fairly close to the water (and sometimes far from the water). Their nests are slight depressions, lined with dry grass and lichen. They occasionally have a slight canopy of grass arranged above too. Marbled Godwits nest on the ground in shortgrass prairies, often far from water and with little overhead plant cover. Males make several shallow depressions in the ground with their feet and the female chooses which one to lay the eggs in.

Anatomy of a Marbled Godwit

Marbled Godwits are often 18 inches tall. They have mottled gray, black, and brown feathers on their uppersides and a lighter color on their undersides. The underside of their wings is a rusty cinnamon brown. They have long legs and a long, upturned bill that is pink at the base and darker towards the end. Males and females are similar in appearance, but the males can sometimes be a little smaller in size (negligible).

The most distinct feature of Marbled Godwits is their bizarre bills. Their bills have been crafted so as to be perfect for digging for aquatic invertebrates and plant tubers in the sand and mud. After all, they are shorebirds and have adapted to their environment quite well.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know quite a bit about Marbled Godwits and their distinct behaviors, it should be a breeze to spot them in the wild, especially since you now know enough about their habitats as well. These birds are known for their distinct sword-like bills and their picking at the sand behavior while foraging for food. Their large size, very long, upturned bills, and cinnamon plumages help them stand out from other shorebirds of their kind. In-flight, look for their cinnamon wings and feet that extend beyond the tail, unlike Whimbrels whose feet do not extend beyond the tail. This is another distinct way of identifying Marbled Godwits.

Since they are shorebirds, it’s highly unlikely to have backyard sightings of this species, but fear not! It is easy now to spot them in their natural habitat. Especially since they are listed as “Least Concern” in the IUCN. They have flourishing populations and are truly a sight to behold for birdwatchers everywhere. This is why we must do all we can to preserve their status as “Least Concern” and help protect their habitat so that their population will be ever-thriving and birdwatchers for generations to come can see these remarkably bizarre creatures!

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At the Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for IdentifyingMarbled Godwits

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing Marbled Godwits are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Marbled Godwit Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Marbled Godwit. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders ForMarbled Godwits

There are many types of bird feeders. Bird feeders are a great addition to your backyard. Bird feeders will increase the chances of attracting birds drastically. Both kids and adults will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. There are a wide variety of bird feeders on the market and it is important to find the best fit for you and your backyard.

Bird HousesForMarbled Godwits

There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. If you spend a little extra money on bird houses, it will be well worth every penny and they’ll look great.