Bar-tailed Godwit

Above: Bar-tailed Godwit (winter)
Below: Black-tailed Godwit (winter)

The bar-tailed godwit is a winter visitor to Britain. It's far more likely to be found around the coast where there are large sandy beaches that are relatively undisturbed. The North West is particularly suitable with areas around the Dee Estuary, North Wirral Coast, Southport, Lytham St Anne's and Morecambe Bay areas.

At first sight, bar-tailed godwits can be easily confused with the similar black-tailed godwit. However, if you get a good view it should be relatively easy to spot the differences. The top picture shows the bar-tailed godwit in it's winter plumage. (In summer they have a bright, warm orange head, neck and whole underside). The back is quite brown and fairly heavily streaked and the long bill has a distinct slight upwards turn, clearly visible in the photograph. The black-tailed godwit shown below is also in his winter plumage (in summer he also has a red head, neck and breast, but a white belly). He is a much paler brown, almost grey, with a straight bill. The bar-tailed also has much shorter legs. Notice how the knee joint is almost immediately below the belly, whilst in the black-tailed it is very much further away from the belly.

In flight the bar-tailed has plain speckled brown wings and an obviously barred tail below a white rump. The black-tailed has bold black and white wings (large white wing bars) and an all black tail below a white rump.  In flight the black-tailed has prominent trailing legs, not quite so obvious in the bar-tailed.

All of the places listed above are good places to try to spot the bar-tailed godwit in winter. They start arriving in small numbers in August with large numbers showing up by October. They start to leave around April with a few stragglers hanging on until early May. These later birds may be sporting their colourful summer plumage so well worth looking out for.

For photography, I've found the North Wirral coast to be the most rewarding, especially just by Wallasey Lifeguard Station. Here they can be found roosting in large numbers very close to the sea wall just after high tide, as the tide retreats. With a long telephoto lens or some good digiscoping gear you should be able to get a reasonable photo from the sea wall itself. If you need to get a lot closer, then the concrete sea defences arc back to the sea wall by the life guard station. If you are careful, so as not to disturb the birds, you may be able to use this cover to get a little closer. Try not to get too enthusiastic and disturb the birds unnecessarily. Apart from you not getting your picture, you'll make the birds waste energy they'll need for the summer migration back to the Northern Arctic.