Identification

The Black-tailed Godwit is a large lightly streaked brown bird, with long legs and a long straight bicoloured bill.  It is seen feeding by pushing its bill deep into the mud or wading belly deep in water hunting for food.  Usually found in small to medium sized groups.  Black and white tail.

Plumage

Non-breeding:  This plumage is an almost even brown, though there are faint pale edges to the feathers.  The white supercilium is distinct but stops in front of the eye.  The bill is bicoloured pink and black.  The most diagnostic features of this bird can be seen in flight, the clear white wing bar , which is missing in the Bar-tailed Godwit and the marked black and white tail.  The rump is white whilst the bulk of the tail is black.

Breeding:  The back and wings are reddish-brown. The face, neck and breast are chestnut leading to white on the underbelly.  The flanks can have brown barring or blotches.  The distinctive wing bar and tail remains as the non-breeding birds.

Juvenile:  Similar to adult non-breeding plumage, though seem to have a streaking to the crown.  Buff wash through upperparts.

Confusing Species

Bar-tailed Godwit:        Very similar to the Black-tailed Godwit in non-breeding plumage.  The plumage is more streaked.  The bicoloured bill is slightly upturned.  Appears to be of a bulkier build and tends to roost whilst the Black-tailed Godwits feed right through the high tide.

Asian Dowitcher:          This is a very rare visitor to Australia, but it is worth looking out for in a flock of godwits.  It is slightly smaller with a straight black bill.  It stands with its bill pointing downwards like a snipe.

Monthly reports of Black-tailed Godwit in Queensland

Monthly sightings

Population trends:

Number of shorebird areas used in the trend analysis: 10

Generation time: 7.7 years (Bird et al. 2020)

Percent change in abundance over three generations: -77.50 (95%CI: -89.93, -50.41)

Percent change in abundance between 1993 and 2021: -79.54 (95%CI: -91.35, -53.62)

Percent annual change in abundance between 1993 and 2021: -5.51 (95%CI: -8.37, -2.71)

Percent annual change in abundance between 1993 and 2012: -5.70 (95%CI: -10.58, -0.74)

Percent annual change in abundance between 2012 and 2021: -0.013 (95%CI: -9.53, 10.74)

Change in annual growth rate between 1993-2012 and 2012-2021: 0.059 (95%CI: -0.057, 0.17)

Change in annual growth rate between 1993-2012 and 2012-2021: 0.042 (95%CI: 0.00085, 0.083)

(Data from Rogers,Fuller and Amano 2023 – see ref 4)

References

1. BirdLife Australia (2023). Black-tailed Godwit. [Text before updates sourced from: Marchant, S. et al (eds) 1990-2006 Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds.Volume 1 to 7.] Birdlife Australia. Birdlife Australia. Source: https://hanzab.birdlife.org.au/species/black-tailed-godwit/ Accessed: April 30, 2026 Time Zone: +10:00
2. van Gils, J., P. Wiersma, D. A. Christie, E. Garcia, and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.bktgod.01
3. eBird. 2021. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available:  http://www.ebird.org (Accessed: Date 12/4/2026)
4. Rogers A, Fuller RA & Amano T (2023) Australia’s migratory shorebirds: Trends and prospects. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. University of Queensland, Brisbane.
5. https://sproggies63.github.io/birding_apps/