Marbled GodwitMarbled Godwit -- South Dakota Birds
| Length: 18-20 inches | Wingspan: 32 inches | Seasonality: Summer/Migrant |
| ID Keys: Even cinnamon color overall with dark barring above, long upcurved bill with pink base | ||
Marbled Godwit
Limosa fedoa
Marbled Godwits are among the largest of the sandpipers that visit the state, only being surpassed by the Long-billed Curlew. Fairly gregarious, they tend to breed in loose colonies, where they prefer native prairie with adjacent wetlands. Hunting by day or by night on mudflats or shallow waters, Marbled Godwits primarily find food items by touch, sometimes probing deeply enough to submerge their entire head below the water's surface.
Habitat: During summer months, breeding Marbled Godwits prefer native prairie with marshes or other wetlands nearby. During migration, they can be found in and around nearly any aquatic environment.
Diet: Primarily feeds on insects during the summer months. Will also feed on plant roots and seeds, especially from grasses and aquatic plants. They will also feed on crustaceans, mollusks, and marine worms on their coastal wintering grounds.
Nesting: June and July
Breeding Map: Breeding Bird Survey Map
Song: Coarse nasal kwek in flight.
Migrations: Summers on the northern Great Plains into southern Canada. Winters along the Pacific coast, with somewhat lesser numbers wintering on the Gulf Coast. Some winter as far away as South America.
Similar Species: Hudsonian Godwit
Status: Populations are
drastically reduced from historical levels. Hunting took a big toll in the
19th century. Populations rebounded somewhat when hunting pressures abated
in the 20th century. However, expanding agricultural lands have resulted
in habitat loss, and numbers have begun to decline once again.
Further Information: 1) USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Marbled Godwit
2) Cornell University's "All About Birds - Marbled Godwit"
3) eNature.com: Marbled Godwit
Photo Information: May 2nd, 2003 -- Western Minnehaha County -- Terry Sohl
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or text links below for additional, higher-resolution Marbled Godwit photos.
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Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl
This page was last edited on 02/03/08
