A large, tall wader with long dark legs and a long, straight bill that is pink at the base and black at the tip. In summer or with moulting plumage the male’s breast, face and neck has a brick reddish colouration and that becomes a striped in light grey on the belly. In winter it turns brownish grey.
Species 1
Black-tailed Godwit
Scientific name
Limosa limosa
Family 2
Scolapacidae
Taxonomic Affinity Group 3
Waders
Phenology 4
It is considered a vulnerable species because the disappearance of habitat for wintering, a constant situation in the Mediterranean basin, including the abandonment of salt production, which has been noticed in the local wintering population, however, during the postnuptial passage, the wetlands of Roquetas de Mar, especially the salt marshes in the west, are important locations for the species. It can be spotted in these salt marshes throughout the year, from July to September are the best times to see it.
The graph represents the probability of seeing a species during the year, grouped into months. The vertical axis indicates the percentage value. Each of the bars expresses its value. The horizontal axis represents the months: I = January, II = February, III = March, IV = April, V = May, VI = June, VII = July, VIII = August, IX = September, X = October, XI = November and XII = December.
Observation recommendations
It is easy to see either in flocks, small groups and even individually in the ponds of the areas where it has been recorded, it is a bird that feeds both at the edge of the water and in it, and it is even possible to see it in the ‘Cerrillos’ steppe area.
Observation areas where we can find it
Notes
[1] The names used are from the list of birds of Spain, drawn up by SEO/BirdLife and updated to 2019 (https://seo.org/listaavesdeespana/). The reference is: Rouco, M., Copete, J. L., De Juana, E., Gil-Velasco, M., Lorenzo, J. A., Martín, M., Milá, B., Molina, B. & Santos, D. M. 2019. Checklist of the birds of Spain. 2019 edition. SEO/BirdLife. Madrid.
[2] The taxonomic family to which it belongs is indicated.
[3] Traditionally, waterbirds have been grouped according to their taxonomy or “taxonomic affinity”, i.e., when some birds coincide in certain features that allow them to be classified scientifically, but without leaving the rigour of science, they are put together in these groups so that they can be easily recognised. These groups are the following: Greves (belonging to the Podicipedae family), Herons and Similar (includes the families: Ardeidae -Herons- Ciconiidae -Storks- and Threskiornithidae -Ibises and spoonbills-), Ducks (the whole Anatidae family), Coots and Similar (the family Rallidae corresponding to Rails, Gallinules and Coots), Cranes (also with only one family, the Gruidae), Waders , a heterogeneous group, the most diverse of this classification, includes the families Burhinidae (Stone-curlews), Haematopodidae (Oystercather), Recurvirostridade (Avocets and Stilts), Glareolidae (Pranticole), Charadriidadea (Plovers), Scolapacidae and finally Gulls and Similar (the recently unified family Laridae, i.e. Gulls and Terns).
[4] Phenology studies the relationship between the cycles of living beings and meteorological factors, and in our latitude these factors manifest themselves as variations throughout the year, thus relating the seasons to the birds’ cycles (breeding, migratory journeys, etc.) The graph shows the probability of seeing a bird depending on the month. It uses data from 48 bird censuses carried out between October 2016 and September 2018. The method used is that of a census route with sampling stations, with a total count on the sheet of water.