Where can I see godwits?

The best area to observe abundant flocks of bar-tailed godwits is Firth of Thames Bay in the northern tip of the Northern Island of New Zealand. The particularly good spot is the village of Miranda where the flocks of tens of thousands bar-tailed godwits gather before departure for Alaskan wetlands.

Where do godwits go in winter?

They leave from Alaska in the northern autumn, and until recently it was assumed they followed a coastal route southwards that would allow them to feed and rest along the way. But there is now conclusive evidence that most take the direct route south across the central Pacific to New Zealand.

How long do godwits live for?

about 20 years
We know a lot about godwits. We know that the females are larger and have longer beaks, that the birds can live for about 20 years.

Where do godwits live in NZ?

In New Zealand some 80,000 godwits arrive and move into harbours and estuaries. Main sites include Manukau Harbour, Firth of Thames, Farewell Spit, Avon Heathcote River Estuaries, Awarua Bay, Houhora Harbour Rangunu Bay, Avon-Heathcote estuary and Parengarenga Harbour.

What do Godwits feed on?

Food. 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.

How fast do Godwits fly?

about 60 km/h
Godwits fly at about 60 km/h, flapping their wings most of the way. They do not have completely waterproof feathers, so they can’t stop for a rest at sea.

What bird can fly the farthest without stopping?

bar-tailed godwit
A bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) just flew for 11 days straight from Alaska to New Zealand, traversing a distance of 7,500 miles (12,000 kilometers) without stopping, breaking the longest nonstop flight among birds known to scientists, The Guardian reported.

What do black tailed godwits eat?

Insects, worms and snails, but also some plants, beetles, grasshoppers and other small insects during the breeding season.

Why do Godwits leave Alaska?

The birds leave Asia for breeding grounds in Alaska in May. After breeding, they refuel on the coastlands of south-western Alaska (Yukon-Kuskokwim delta and Alaska Peninsula).

Do Godwits breed in NZ?

Godwits hold cultural significance for many New Zealanders. They do not breed until their third or fourth year, so each southern winter there are hundreds of non-breeding birds remaining in New Zealand. Identification. The bar-tailed godwit is the most common Arctic migrant in New Zealand.

What bird can fly for 5 years?

Albatrosses
Albatrosses are masters of soaring flight, able to glide over vast tracts of ocean without flapping their wings. So fully have they adapted to their oceanic existence that they spend the first six or more years of their long lives (which last upwards of 50 years) without ever touching land.

Can birds sleep while flying?

Migrating birds may also rely on USWS to rest. The long migration flights of many species don’t allow for many chances to stop and rest. But a bird using USWS could both sleep and navigate at the same time. There is evidence that the Alpine Swift can fly non-stop for 200 days, sleeping while in flight!

When do the godwits arrive in New Zealand?

• Godwits leave Alaska when it starts to cool off. They arrive in New Zealand in September and leave in late February/early March. They leave Alaska when it starts to cool off. • Their non-stop flight from Alaska to the Avon/Heatchcote Estuary in Christchurch covers over 11,000 km in just 8 days.

Where did the godwits go back to last year?

The first of the godwits have made the 11,000 kilometre journey back to their Canterbury feeding spots, 11 days later than last year. Christchurch City Council ornithologist Andrew Crossland saw 38 of the migratory birds at Southshore Spit on Friday.

Where is the bar tailed godwit in New Zealand?

It has been name-checked, famously, in Charles Brasch’s poem The Islands. Her face still stained yellow from Alaskan mud, a bar-tailed godwit rests while the tide covers the mud flats of the Avon/Heathcote Estuary near Christchurch.

How many godwits are at Southshore Spit?

Christchurch City Council ornithologist Andrew Crossland saw 38 of the migratory birds at Southshore Spit on Friday. About 1400 more are expected over the next three to four weeks.