ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - Marbled Godwit

Marbled Godwit

The population dynamic of this species is interesting; it occurs in three geographically isolated breeding populations, each wintering in separate locales. Our birds are likely from the Great Plains population.

Marbled Godwit

Limosa fedoa

At-a-Glance

• Incubation: 21-23 days

• Clutch Size: 4 eggs

• Young Fledge: 21 days after hatching

• Typical Foods: aquatic invertebrates, plant matter, and seeds

Description
A rare migrant, this giant sandpiper dwarfs most other shorebirds on the mudflats. The long, pink and black upcurved bill is half the length of the bird's body.

Habitat and Habits
The marbled godwit is a species of large, wide-open mudflats, and often forage in belly deep water. They are rarely heard here, but the most frequent call is a strident two-syllable wee-kee wee-kee; occasionally a gull-like kwerrr; deeper and less squeaky than the Hudsonian godwit.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
Godwits breed in colonies on grassy plains where they lay their eggs in a slight depression in the ground. The female alone incubates the eggs.