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The Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa) is a bird found in Netherlands, United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, France, and 2 more countries. Wet meadows and estuaries across Europe and Asia. It eats insects and other small invertebrates, reptiles and frogs and fish. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

🏡 Where the Black-tailed godwit lives

Wet meadows and estuaries across Europe and Asia.

🍽️ What it eats

• 🐛 Insects & bugs60%
• 🦎 Reptiles & frogs10%
• 🐟 Fish10%
• 🍎 Fruit10%
• 🌰 Seeds & nuts10%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

Hear the Black-tailed godwit

Recorded by Bo Shunqi 薄顺奇 (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC841380. Trimmed to a few seconds.

Questions about the Black-tailed godwit

Where does the Black-tailed godwit live?

The Black-tailed godwit lives in Netherlands, United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, France, and 2 more countries. Wet meadows and estuaries across Europe and Asia.

What does the Black-tailed godwit eat?

insects and other small invertebrates (about 60%), reptiles and frogs (about 10%), fish (about 10%), fruit (about 10%), seeds and nuts (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the Black-tailed godwit endangered?

Not in danger yet, but it could be soon. Its IUCN Red List category is Near Threatened.

More birds from Europe

• European pied flycatcher
• Wood sandpiper
• Common shelduck
• Eurasian wigeon
• Western house martin
• Lesser black-backed gull

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.