god·wit

(gŏd′wĭt′)

Any of various large shorebirds of the genus Limosa, having a long, slender, slightly upturned bill.

[Origin unknown.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

godwit

(ˈɡɒdwɪt)

(Animals) any large shore bird of the genus Limosa, of northern and arctic regions, having long legs and a long upturned bill: family Scolopacidae (sandpipers, etc), order Charadriiformes

[C16: of unknown origin]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

god•wit

(ˈgɒd wɪt)

n.

any shorebird of the cosmopolitan genus Limosa, having a long bill that curves upward.

[1545–55; orig. uncertain]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

godwit - large wading bird that resembles a curlew; has a long slightly upturned bill

limicoline bird, shore bird, shorebird - any of numerous wading birds that frequent mostly seashores and estuaries

genus Limosa, Limosa - godwits

Hudsonian godwit, Limosa haemastica - New World godwit

Translations

λιμόζη

picopando

barge

grutto

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Located at the mouths of the Mersey and Dee estuaries, the new Mersey Narrows and Wirral Foreshore SPA and Ramsar site is home to internationally important populations of knot, bar-tailed godwit, little gull and common tern and regularly supports over 20,000 waders and wildfowl in winter.

Wirral wetlands get international protection

"Some declining species, such as the ringed plover and bar-tailed godwit seem to be shifting away from wintering in Wales, preferring to spend the winter in continental Europe.

Study shows changes in numbers of birds visiting

His collection included eggs of protected species including: little tern, osprey, avocet, black-tailed godwit, stone curlew, corncrake, chough, peregrine falcon and red-throated diver - as well as 166 nightingale eggs and 87 nightjar eggs.

Man jailed for egg thefts

In addition, some declining species, such as the ringed plover and bar-tailed godwit seem to be shifting away from wintering in Wales, and spending the winter in continental Europe.

Climate change brings fluctuation fortunes for the wide variety of birdlife that visits our shores

Other rare birds that have also been spotted in South Wales recently include a Little Stint, which normally breeds in the Arctic, but was spotted in Kenfig, near Porthcawl, and a Bar-tailed Godwit, which is normally seen in Alaska, but was also spotted in Kenfig last month.

OUT OF AFRICA

WADERS FIVE wader species - redshank, black-tailed godwit, oystercatcher, knot and dunlin - winter on the estuary.

We're still counting on Wales' own bird paradise; Wetland Bird Survey's 30 years on Dee Estuary

NAOMI MATTHEW: 6.00 Soopacal, 6.30 Muhamee, 7.00 Kingaroo, 7.30 Mingun Bell (nb), 8.00 Vegas Belle, 8.30 Rapid Water, 9.00 Godwit.

Tomorrow's tips

Many "listers" travelled to see a Hudsonian Godwit in Somerset, whilst to the north a Pied-billed Grebe was at RSPB Leighton Moss, Lancashire.

Robin Sandham BIRD NOTES

Smaller numbers, but no less special, of black-tailed godwits and bar-tailed godwits are heading south, a good opportunity to tell them apart - spotting the tail colour is never easy, but in summer, the orange on bar-tailed extends right underneath, whereas it stops half-way down on a black-tailed godwit, giving way to a pale belly.

bird notes

The other five species are pinkfooted and greylag geese, wigeon, grey plover and bar-tailed godwit.

Nature reserve brims with life

Back at Conwy return waders included a colour ringed black-tailed godwit, presumably from an Icelandic ringing scheme.

bird notes