Marbled Godwit
Limosa fedoa
DescriptionThis medium sized shorebird is often seen feeding with shorebirds of other species. They feed on aquatic invertebrates, and in lesser amounts on insects, green plant matter and seeds. In Spring, these birds fly over the Great Plains in large, noisy flocks. The males perform an aerial display that includes flying in a figure eight pattern.
Dark brown upperparts with a light and dark mottled wing pattern. Cinnamon wing linings. Pale buff head, neck, and breast. Cinnamon-buff belly. May have dark brown barring on breast and flanks. Dark eyestripe. Long, upward curved bill. The bill has a pinkish base and a black tip. Long, dark legs. Sexes similiar. 16 to 18 inches in length.
Coastal beaches, mudflats, salt marshes, and tidal creeks.
Nesting4 olive-buff eggs with brown blotches and a 21-23 day incubation period. Fledging occurs 21 days after hatching. The nest is a grass lined depression in the ground.
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