The Marbled Godwit, a big long legged and long neck shore bird that has a black tip on its beak, brownish wing linings and stands about 18 inches tall as an adult. This shore bird has a tan colored head, chest and stomach, chocolate colored stripes on its chest and thighs and a dark colored bar on its face. Its feathers on its back have spots or streaks. Both the male and female Marbled Godwit as well as the young bird all have similar plumage. Marbled Godwits are among the largest of the sandpipers.
The Marbled Godwit breeds in the summer near open water on the central grassy plains from the Province of Saskatchewan to the States of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, They tend to breed in loose sociable colonies, In Saskatchewan it is not unusual for bird watchers to find the scattered pairs of nesting godwits on the Province's prairie.
Often when near a marsh bird watchers observe and hear the loud cries of a flock of Marbled Godwits as they fly overhead preparing to land in the nearby grassy field. The birds will land in the field to strut around while finding and eating insects.
After mating the female usually lays four large good looking eggs in a depression on the ground. They line the new nest with grasses in June and July. The nest is not concealed except by the vastness of the surrounding open prairie. Also the blending of the brooding birds that perch on the ground close to the nest so that most godwit nests are found by accident. Their nest is never too far from wetlands or marshes but the nest is always built on dry ground.
She sits on the eggs for about three weeks and about three weeks later at six weeks of age the young birds fledge. Both the male and femalelook after the new born chicks. Once the young godwits are hatched the adult birds become excessively noisy and aggressive.
While on the prairie's nesting grounds the birds follow each other around, fly about, landing close by and then trotting off and doing this routine again. While following, flying, landing and trotting the godwits continue their shriek of "godwit, godwit." This suggests to me that the bird got its name, "Godwit" from its call.
It winters on the coasts on coastal beaches and along lake shores from California southward and along the Gulf Coast. Some migrate in the winter to South America in estuaries, salt marshes, tidal creeks, mudflats and ocean beaches.
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