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Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
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The Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) is of the family Scolopacidae which is in the genus Limosa. This large, long-legged and long-billed shorebird's breeding
range extends from Iceland through central Europe as well as central
and northeastern Asia. In the autumn, it migrates south to spend the
winter in southern and western Europe, Mediterranean Basin, sub Saharan Africa, southern Asia
and parts of coastal Australia. The species breeds in fens, damp
meadows, moorlands and bogs. In the winter, it occurs on estuaries, lake
shores, and in damp coastal fields.
There are three subspecies recognised:
- Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit - (Limosa limosa islandica)
- European Black-tailed Godwit - (Limosa limosa limosa)
- Asian Black-tailed Godwit - (Limosa limosa melanuroides)
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) distribution map

Yellow breeding Blue wintering Green breeding resident
J. Schroeder, CC BY-SA 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons