Photo: BLM Alaska · National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska · Bureau of Land Management / Wikimedia Commons · Public Domain
Shorebirds
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica
A large, long-billed shorebird famous for completing the longest non-stop migratory flight of any bird: up to 7,400 miles in a single flight from Alaska to New Zealand. Bar-tailed Godwits stage in large numbers along the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian coastlines before their record-breaking transoceanic migration.
Where to look
Alaska Peninsula and eastern Aleutian tidal flats in late July and August (staging for migration). Occasional migrants noted on Pribilof Islands during peak shorebird season.
Habitat
Arctic tundra (breeding); tidal mudflats, estuaries, and beaches (migration/staging).
Diet
Marine worms, bivalves, crustaceans, and insects.
Natural history note
A Bar-tailed Godwit tagged in Alaska flew 7,400 miles non-stop to New Zealand in just 11 days, setting the world record for the longest non-stop bird migration.