Black-tailed Godwit

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Wet grassland, estuaries.
Diet: Worms, insects.
Best time to spot: Black-and-white tail; long straight bill.

When to look

Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Black-tailed Godwit sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK. It is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to disturb it at or near the nest. We blur the location of every sighting of this species.

Where to see it

Reserves where the Black-tailed Godwit is on the list:

• RSPB Minsmere

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Bar-tailed GodwitUncommon · Estuaries
• Hudsonian GodwitLegendary · Coastal pools (very rare)
• Northern PintailUncommon · Estuaries
• Eurasian WigeonCommon · Wet grassland
• Barn OwlUncommon · Rough grassland
• Barnacle GooseUncommon · Coastal grassland (winter)

Kit that helps

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