Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica)
Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area - Huichica Creek Unit, Napa Co, CA
16 September 2013
Joseph Morlan

Description

The following description is based on memory and on photos:

This godwit was only slightly smaller than the nearby Marbled Godwit. It was much duller in color, lacking the warm tones of the Marbled Godwit. Its bill was long and slightly upturned with a dull pink color at the base extending almost half way out. Its face was much more distinctly patterned compared to the Marbled Godwit. It had a capped appearance with bold white supra-loral stripes contrasting with a narrow dark lore stripe between the eye and the bill. The upperparts were gray-brown with its mantle showing distinct dark crescent shaped terminal markings and dark shaft streaks combining to form an anchor-shape. The wing coverts were paler and grayer contrasting slightly with the darker scapulars. The underparts were grayish-buff on its breast, sides and flanks, fading to white on its belly and undertail coverts.

When the bird spread its wings, the pattern of the upperparts showed a bold white wing-stripe, recalling the pattern of a Willet. The underwing had striking black axillars and wing linings, but the undersides of the remiges appeared white, more white than I expected. The marginal coverts were short and presented an odd mixture of white and black feathers, appearing black on the folded wing, but more white when the wing was spread. The wing-tip was long with long primary projection beyond the tertials.

The rump was white. The tail was white at the base with a bold black tail-band broader in the middle and narrower on the outside. Very narrow whitish tips to the tail feathers were evident. The legs were long. and blackish.

Discussion

Status in California

There are forty-six previously accepted records of this species in California, but this appears to be the first for Napa County. Most records are of juveniles in Fall, primarily along the northwest coast. This species is a long distance migrant, wintering mostly in South America, but a few birds winter regularly in New Zealand. It is considered vulnerable with a total population estimated at 50-70k birds in a localized and patchy distribution on both the breeding grounds and wintering areas. Furthermore, the population appears to be decreasing.

Identification

Hudsonian Godwit is similar to the Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) of the Palearctic, unrecorded in California but a vagrant to Alaska and the East Coast. Black-tailed has a straight bill, not upturned as in Hudsonian. In all plumages, the dark wing-linings of Hudsonian should separate it from the more extensive white wing linings of Black-tailed. Hudsonian is said to have a narrower white wing-stripe, but that difference can be subtle and less reliable than the underwing pattern. In juvenal Plumage, Black-tailed is much warmer in coloration with rich buff head and breast and a different mantle pattern with dark diamond-shaped centers and rich buff fringes.