Bar-tailed Godwit
Latin: Limosa lapponica (Linné 1758)
Svenska: Myrspov
Deutsch: Pfuhlschnepfe
A long distance record holder
A bar-tailed godwit holds the record for long-distance travel by any bird. This particular bird flew from Alaska all the way to an island in the Pacific Ocean. It flew for nine consecutive days and travelled over 10,800 km!
The bar-tailed godwit builds its nest in boglands. Its closest nesting place to Uppsala is in northwestern Norrbotten. Most of the godwits seen in Uppland, though, probably nest in Russia. Your best chance to see one of these birds is in Hjälstaviken in late July.
These birds pass by Uppland from mid-July to late September. They spend the winter in western Europe, the Mediterranean, and western Africa. They pass by Uppland on their northern journey in April and May, often without resting.
Photo: Håkan Sivencrona©
Latest sightings of bar-tailed godwits in Uppland
NatureGate on the bar-tailed godwit
Wikipedia article on the bar-tailed godwit