Verification of Unusual
Sight Record
For Utah
Rec. # 2005-10
| Common name: |
Hudsonian Godwit |
| Scientific name: | Limosa haemastica |
| Date: | 4/24/05 |
| Time: | app 12:00 pm |
| Length of time observed: | 10 min |
| Number: | 1 |
| Age: | adult |
| Sex: | female (presumed) |
| Location: | Antelope Island Causeway |
| County: | Davis |
| Latilong: | unknown |
| Elevation: | unknown |
| Distance to bird: | 50-100 feet |
| Optical equipment: | Brunton Epoch 7.5 x 43 |
| Weather: | cloundy with intermittent rain showers |
| Light Conditions: | good |
| Description: Size of bird: | large (noticably smaller than Marbled Godwits) |
| (Description:) Basic Shape: | godwit |
| (Description:) Overall Pattern: | see description below |
| (Description:) Bill Type: | godwit type - very long with pronounced up-turn |
|
(Description:)
Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics: |
The bird was first noticed as a smaller godwit in a group of godwits. Upon
observation through bins the smaller bird was noted to have a bright white
supercillium. We stopped the car and watched as the godwits fed along the
causeway. The smaller bird with the white supercilium was carefully observed as
it fed. The bill was pinkish orange from the base to at least halfway to the
tip. The bill tip was black on both upper and lower mandible. The supercillium
was nearly pure white, but at this distance there were some noticable tiny dark feathers mixed in with the white along the edges. Eye was black with a noticable eyeline that was much darker in the supra loral area than the post ocular. The corwn was darkish with buffy -gray striping. The back was fairly unremarkable, being mostly grayish with black mottling with some buffy markings. Folded primary tips were dark. Breast was finely barred and the base color was mostly a light orangish with much white. Belly was mostly white with fairly heavy dark barring intermittent throughout. Flanks/sides were mostly white with some orange markings and had very bold dark verticle barring throughout. Undertail coverts appeared totally white. Eventually the bird stretched wings and the obvious pattern of the wings clinched the ID. The underwings were mostly black with a noticable basal primary stripe of white. Upperwings were also dark with a basal white stripe of both secondaries and primaries. |
| Song or call & method of delivery: | none |
| Behavior: | actively forageing on mud |
| Habitat: | mudflat |
| Similar
species and
how were they eliminated: |
The only godwit species with wing colorations such as this is the Bar-tailed Godwit which has white underwings. Willets exhibit similar wing pattern, but this was an obvious godwit. |
| Previous
experience with this & similar species: |
This is the first time I have observed Hudsonian Godwit. I have seen thousands of Marbled Godwits on the Washington coast. I have also seen Bar-tailed Godwit on the Washington coast |
| References consulted: | Sibleys, National Geographic, Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest, Shorbirds of North America |
| Description from: | Notes taken at time of sighting |
| Observer: | Doug Schonewald |
| Observer's address: | 1535 S Skyline Dr, Moses Lake, WA 98837 |
| Observer's e-mail address: | dschone8@donobi.net |
| Other observers who independently identified this bird: | My wife observed the bird with me, however she has only recently become more than a casual birder. |
| Date prepared: | 5/4/05 |
| Additional material: | |
| Additional comments: | sketches of head and wings will be sent to Milton Moody as time permits for me to scan them and send them. |