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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Scolopacidae
  4. ›
  5. Limosa
  6. ›
  7. Hudsonian Godwit
Hudsonian Godwit
Photo · (c) Andrew Allen, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Hudsonian Godwit

Limosa haemastica(Linnaeus, 1758)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
CHARADRIIFORMES
Family
Scolopacidae
Genus
Limosa

At a glance

The Hudsonian Godwit, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The Hudsonian godwit is a large shorebird in the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae. It is a long distance migratory species that breeds at remote sites in northern Canada and winters in southern South America. The genus name Limosa is from Latin and means "muddy", from limus, "mud". The specific haemastica is from Ancient Greek and means "bloody".The English term "godwit" is believed to imitate the bird's call.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Hudsonian Godwit?

The Hudsonian Godwit is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

4 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Hudsonian Godwit live in Australia?

The Hudsonian Godwit is native to Australia, recorded across 13 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingPatchily in low Arctic bogs near treeline, west Alaska to central Canada: west and south-central Alaska, north and south-central NWT, south-west shores of Hudson Bay in north Manitoba and north Ontario (east-central Canada)

Non-breedingMainly temperate coastal wetlands of south South America; highly localized: north Peru to south Chile (east South Pacific) and south Brazil to south Argentina (west South Atlantic)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Breeding
  • Non-breeding
  • Passage
  • Vagrant

6 regions recorded