Movements and Migration

Natal Philopatry and Dispersal

Two of 227 chicks were resighted at their natal site within 2 yr after hatch (Senner et al., unpublished data). In other godwits, banded chicks were occasionally resighted near their banding site (104 Colwell, M. A. and L. W. Oring (1988). Habitat use by breeding and migrating shorebirds in south-central Saskatchewan. Wilson Bulletin 100:554–566. Close , 105 Gratto-Trevor, C. L. (2000). Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa). In The Birds of North America, No. 492 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Editors). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Close ). In the Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa), the male nests closer to the hatching site than the female (106 Groen, N. M. (1993). Breeding site tenacity and natal philopatry in the Black-tailed Godwit Limosa l. limosa. Ardea 81:107-113. Close ).

Adult Fidelity to Breeding Site and Dispersal

Few data. Territories are often reoccupied from year to year, and several instances of banded birds returning to their previous breeding sites (including both members of a pair in 3 consecutive years), demonstrate that site fidelity occurs (97 Gill, Jr, R. E., and T. L. Tibbitts (1999). Seasonal shorebird use of intertidal habitats in Cook Inlet, Alaska. In Final Rep: USDI, U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, and OCS Study. Close , L. Tibbitts, unpublished, J. R. Jehl, Jr., personal communication, JK). In the Black-tailed Godwit, return rates to breeding areas 78% for males, 69% for females (107 Jonas, R. (1979). Brutbiologische Untersuchungen an einer Population der Uferschnepfe (Limosa limosa). Vogelwelt 100:125-136. Close ).

No direct information on dispersal from breeding site. Genetic studies indicate little dispersal among main breeding populations (49 Haig, S. M., C. L. Gratto-Trevor, T. D. Mullins, and M. A. Colwell (1997). Population identification of western hemisphere shorebirds throughout the annual cycle. Molecular Ecology 6(5):413–427. Close ).

Fidelity to Overwintering Home Range

Most of the world's population winters at two disjunct sites: with Alaskan breeders on the Pacific coast of South America and Manitoba breeders on the Atlantic coast, suggesting that fidelity to nonbreeding sites is high, but there is little information on movement among wintering sites or fidelity to home range sites. One Churchill bird equipped with a data logger for two years returned to the same non-breeding site (Bahía Blanca; Senner et al., unpublished data).

The Hudsonian Godwit is a long-distance migrant between boreal breeding grounds and wintering grounds in southern South America. On migration, individuals are found within relatively narrow geographic zones―although occurrence within this zone is sporadic, suggesting that the Hudsonian Godwit may not use traditional stopover sites, but instead makes stops dependent on weather and on-the-ground conditions (108 Skagen, S. K., D. A. Granfors, and C. P. Melcher (2008). On determining the significance of ephemeral continental wetlands to north American migratory shorebirds. Auk 125(1):20–29. Close , 109 Senner, N. R. (2010). Conservation plan for Hudsonian Godwit. Version 1.1. Manomet: Manomet Center for Conservation Science. Close ).

As in other Nearctic breeding shorebirds, migration follows an elliptical route in North America, with the northbound route located west of the southbound route (2 Hagar, J. A. (1966). Nesting of the Hudsonian Godwit at Churchill, Manitoba. Living Bird 5:5-43. Close , 33 Morrison, R. I. G. (1984). Migration system of some New World shorebirds. In Behavior of Marine Animals. Volume 6. Shorebirds: Migration and Foraging Behavior (J. Burger and B. L. Olla, Editors). Plenum Press, New York, NY, USA. pp. 125–202. Close ). Within North America, northbound migration is more diffuse than southbound. In spring, most birds pass through the Great Plains, with major concentrations recorded occasionally at sites such as Cheyenne Bottoms, Kansas; the eastern Rainwater Basin, Nebraska; and Lake Thompson, South Dakota (99 Skagen, S. K., P. B. Sharpe, and R. G. Waltermire (1998). Biogeographical profiles of shorebird migrations in mid continental North America. Ft. Collins, CO (unpaged). U.S. Geological Survey. Close ; Jorgensen personal communication). In fall, major staging areas are found in western Alaska at Aropuk Lake, in the Quill Lakes and other saline likes of southern Saskatchewan, and at James Bay; these concentrations represent western and eastern breeding populations, respectively (6 Alexander, S. A., and C. Gratto-Trevor (1997). Shorebird migration and staging at a large prairie lake and wetland complex: The Quill Lakes, Saskatchewan. Canadian Wildlife Service Occasional Papers no. 97. Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Close , 109 Senner, N. R. (2010). Conservation plan for Hudsonian Godwit. Version 1.1. Manomet: Manomet Center for Conservation Science. Close , B. McCaffery, personal communication).

Most Hudsonian Godwits from both eastern and western staging sites make a non-stop flight over the western Atlantic to South America. Migration within South America is not well known, but preliminary data from individual tracking devices suggest southbound migrants travel through the interior and that northbound migration is more coastal (Senner et al., unpublished data). This suggests that most individuals travel through the continental interior during both the boreal and austral spring periods and along the coast during both fall periods. Tracking devices on migrating birds have also shown that additional staging sites for Alaskan birds occur in the interior of northern South America, particularly from southeast Colombia south to northwest Brazil (Amazonas) (Senner et al., unpublished data).

Small numbers of nonbreeders remain in southern South America during the breeding season (91 Hudson, W. H. (1920) Birds of La Plata. Volume 1. Dent & Sons, London, United Kingdom. Close , 110 Weller, M. W. (1967). Notes on some marsh birds of Cape San Antonio, Argentina. Ibis 109:391–410. Close , 38 Lara Resende, S. de M. (1988). Nonbreeding strategies of migratory birds at Lagoa do Peixe, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Master's Thesis, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Close , 84 Blanco, D. E., P. González, and M. M. Martínez (1995). Migración de la Becasa de mar, Limosa haemastica (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae), en el sur de América del Sur. Vida Silvestre Neotropical 4:119–124. Close , 111 Espinosa, L. A., A. von Meyer, and R. P. Schlatter (2006). Status of the Hudsonian Godwit in Llanquihue and Chiloé provinces, southern Chile, during 1979-2005. Wader Study Group Bulletin 109:77–82. Close ).

Northbound Migration

Little information is available about Hudsonian Godwit migration through South America. In Argentina, movement during early March was reported from the Buenos Aires area (92 Wetmore, A. (1927). Our migrant shorebirds in southern South America. U.S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin 26. Close ); the species is seen at San Antonio Oeste in central Argentina only during northbound migration, perhaps suggesting different migration routes or use of different stopovers during northbound and southbound migrations (84 Blanco, D. E., P. González, and M. M. Martínez (1995). Migración de la Becasa de mar, Limosa haemastica (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae), en el sur de América del Sur. Vida Silvestre Neotropical 4:119–124. Close ); numbers peak in March in southern Brazil, with most gone by the end of April (38 Lara Resende, S. de M. (1988). Nonbreeding strategies of migratory birds at Lagoa do Peixe, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Master's Thesis, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Close ). Numbers peak in the Los Lagos region of Chile in March and nearly all individuals are gone by May (111 Espinosa, L. A., A. von Meyer, and R. P. Schlatter (2006). Status of the Hudsonian Godwit in Llanquihue and Chiloé provinces, southern Chile, during 1979-2005. Wader Study Group Bulletin 109:77–82. Close ). Not seen in Paraguay during northbound migration (112 Hayes, F. E. (1995). Status, Distribution, and Biogeography of the Birds of Paraguay. American Birding Association, Colorado Springs, CO, USA. Close ). Uncommon from at least mid-April to May along the Pacific coast of Guatemala and southern Mexico north to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and along the Gulf of Mexico coast from southern Veracruz to the Texas-Mexico border; rare elsewhere in Mexico (113 Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb (1995). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, New York, New York, USA. Close ).

First arrives in North America in early April, with first individuals often found well inland of the mid-Texas coast (Senner, unpublished data). Moves north, primarily west of the Mississippi River, between 90° and 100° west in the US, and across a wider range once it reaches southern Canada. The largest concentrations are at Cheyenne Bottoms, Kansas; Lake Thompson, South Dakota; Kingsbury County, South Dakota; eastern Rainwater Basin, Nebraska; and Jackson County, Texas (99 Skagen, S. K., P. B. Sharpe, and R. G. Waltermire (1998). Biogeographical profiles of shorebird migrations in mid continental North America. Ft. Collins, CO (unpaged). U.S. Geological Survey. Close , 114 Jorgensen, J. G. (2008). 2008 update to an overview of shorebird migration in the eastern Rainwater Basin, Nebraska. Lincoln: published by author. Close ). Appears to be a bimodal migration, with an early peak in central North America occurring in mid-April and a second, larger peak during May, that likely has to do with the earlier arrival of south-central Alaska breeders (NRS).

Representative dates of occurrence during spring migration: north-central Texas, late March–late May (115 Pulich, W. M. (1988). The Birds of North Central Texas. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas, USA. Close ); Kansas, early April–late May (116 Thompson, M. C., and C. Ely (1989). Birds in Kansas, Volume I. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Public Education Series 11. Close ), with 50% of the birds at Cheyenne Bottoms seen during the last two weeks of April (117 Helmers, D. L. (1991). Habitat use by migrant shorebirds and invertebrate availability in a managed wetland complex. Unpubl. Master's Thesis, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia. Close ); western Minnesota, late April–early June (118 Janssen, R. B. (1987). Birds in Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Close ); eastern South Dakota, late April–late May (119 South Dakota Ornithologists' Union (1991). The Birds of South Dakota, 2nd edition. South Dakota Ornithologists' Union, Aberdeen, South Dakota, USA. Close ).

Uncommon spring migrant in the southern part of the Prairie Provinces. Regular in small numbers during late April and early May in eastern Alberta. In Manitoba, regular along the Hudson Bay coast, irregular to the south (120 Salt, W. R., and J. R. Salt (1976). The Birds of Alberta with Their Ranges in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Hurtig, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Close ). In southern Yukon, small numbers in May, primarily in the Southern Lakes area near Whitehorse; most records between 8 and 13 May and involve 1 or 2 birds, but larger numbers (maximum flock size of 52) reported occasionally (13 Eckert, C. D. (1999). A notable movement of godwits in the Yukon, spring 1999. Birder's Journal 8:149-150. Close , 69 Sinclair, P. H., W. A. Nixon, C. D. Eckert, and N. L. Hughes (Editors) (2003). Birds of the Yukon Territory. UBC Press, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Close ). Elsewhere in North America, occurs only as a rare spring migrant.

First reaches southern Alaska breeding grounds during last week of April, with nearly all birds on breeding territories at Susitna Flats by the first few days of May (121 Isleib, M. E., and B. Kessel. (1973). Birds of North Gulf Coast-Prince William Sound region, Alaska. Biological Papers of the University of Alaska 14. Close , 61 Kessel, B., and D. Gibson (1978). Status and distribution of Alaska birds. Studies in Avian Biology 1:1–100. Close ). Historical records over a 37 year period put this average at May 2. Arrival is delayed somewhat in years of heavy snow or shorefast ice (T. Tobish, unpublished data); earliest arrivals in western Alaska during the first week of May on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and in Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge (62 McCaffery, B. J., and C. M. Harwood (2000). Status of Hudsonian Godwits on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. Western Birds 31:165–177. Close ); by mid-May on the Seward Peninsula (63 Kessel, B. (1989). Birds of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska: Their Biogeography, Seasonality and Natural History. University of Alaska Press, Fairbanks, AK, USA. Close ).

Historical first records show an average arrival date in Churchill, Manitoba of May 22 over a period of 24 years (NRS), with spring migration peaking in late May and very early June (72 Jehl, J. R., Jr., and B. A. Smith (1970). Birds of the Churchill region, Manitoba. Special Publication no. 1. Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Close , 73 Cooke, F., R. K. Ross, R. K. Schmidt, and A. J. Pakulak (1975). Birds of the tundra biome at Cape Churchill and La Pérouse Bay. Canadian Field-Naturalist 89:413-422. Close ).

Southbound Migration

Prior to migration, the Hudsonian Godwit gathers in low hundreds on tidal flats of the northern Yukon Delta, and the southeastern shore of Kuskokwim Bay (35 Seppi, B. E. (1995). Hudsonian Godwit migration at Carter Spit, Alaska. Western Birds 26:167. Close , McCaffery, personal communication), and in Cook Inlet (61 Kessel, B., and D. Gibson (1978). Status and distribution of Alaska birds. Studies in Avian Biology 1:1–100. Close , 97 Gill, Jr, R. E., and T. L. Tibbitts (1999). Seasonal shorebird use of intertidal habitats in Cook Inlet, Alaska. In Final Rep: USDI, U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, and OCS Study. Close ). At Cook Inlet, Alaska, the first males begin to stage in late June, with good numbers well into July; females are later, beginning to arrive by the last week of June and arriving in numbers with the first juveniles during late July–early August (T. Tobish, Senner et al., unpublished data). Latest birds depart the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and Seward Peninsula by late August (63 Kessel, B. (1989). Birds of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska: Their Biogeography, Seasonality and Natural History. University of Alaska Press, Fairbanks, AK, USA. Close , 62 McCaffery, B. J., and C. M. Harwood (2000). Status of Hudsonian Godwits on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. Western Birds 31:165–177. Close ); adults leave the tidal flats of Cook Inlet by late July, juveniles by the end of August (L. Tibbitts, T. Tobish, Senner et al., unpublished data). At Churchill and La Pérouse Bay, Manitoba, adults begin to flock by mid-July and start departing by late July; most juveniles leave by the end of August (latest 7 September; 72 Jehl, J. R., Jr., and B. A. Smith (1970). Birds of the Churchill region, Manitoba. Special Publication no. 1. Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Close , 73 Cooke, F., R. K. Ross, R. K. Schmidt, and A. J. Pakulak (1975). Birds of the tundra biome at Cape Churchill and La Pérouse Bay. Canadian Field-Naturalist 89:413-422. Close ).

Relatively few birds are seen away from major staging sites during migration; e.g., very few seen in the Yukon Territory during fall migration, all between late July and early September (69 Sinclair, P. H., W. A. Nixon, C. D. Eckert, and N. L. Hughes (Editors) (2003). Birds of the Yukon Territory. UBC Press, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Close ). Key staging sites are in Saskatchewan (peak numbers at Luck Lake, Quill Lakes, Porter Lake, Opuntia Lake, and Catherwood Lake 122 Morrison, R. I. G., R. W. Butler, G. W. Beyersbergen, H. L. Dickson and A. Bourget. (1995b). Potential Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network sites for shorebirds in Canada. In Tech. Rep. Ser. no. 227. Ottawa: Can. Wildl. Serv. Close , 99 Skagen, S. K., P. B. Sharpe, and R. G. Waltermire (1998). Biogeographical profiles of shorebird migrations in mid continental North America. Ft. Collins, CO (unpaged). U.S. Geological Survey. Close , W. Renard and G. Beyersbergen, personal communication), representing western populations, and James Bay, primarily eastern birds. At Porter Lake and Quill Lakes, passage occurs early July–early September, with peak during the first half of August (120 Salt, W. R., and J. R. Salt (1976). The Birds of Alberta with Their Ranges in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Hurtig, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Close , 6 Alexander, S. A., and C. Gratto-Trevor (1997). Shorebird migration and staging at a large prairie lake and wetland complex: The Quill Lakes, Saskatchewan. Canadian Wildlife Service Occasional Papers no. 97. Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Close ). After leaving Saskatchewan, birds take a direct route to the eastern coast of North America and set off for a direct flight to South America over the western Atlantic (Senner et al., unpublished data).

During the second half of July, flocks gather on tidal flats along the western shores of Hudson and James Bays (96 Hearne, S. (1796). A journey from Prince of Wale's fort, in Hudson's Bay, to the northern ocean. Undertaken by order of the Hudson's Bay Company. For the discovery of Copper mines, a North West Passage, & c. in the years 1769, 1770, 1771, and 1772. Dublin: Printed for P. Byne and J. Rice. Close , 41 Hope, C. E. and T. M. Shortt (1944). Southward migration of adult shorebirds on the west coast of James Bay, Ontario. Auk 61(4):572–576. Close , 2 Hagar, J. A. (1966). Nesting of the Hudsonian Godwit at Churchill, Manitoba. Living Bird 5:5-43. Close , 74 Peck, G. K. (1972). Birds of the Cape Henrietta Maria Region, Ontario. Canadian Field-Naturalist 86:333-348. Close , 123 Morrison, R. I. G. and B. A. Harrington. (1979). Critical shorebird resources in James Bay and eastern North America. Paper read at Trans. 44th N. Am. Wildl. and Nat. Resour. Conf., at Washington, D.C. Close , 33 Morrison, R. I. G. (1984). Migration system of some New World shorebirds. In Behavior of Marine Animals. Volume 6. Shorebirds: Migration and Foraging Behavior (J. Burger and B. L. Olla, Editors). Plenum Press, New York, NY, USA. pp. 125–202. Close ). Adults start gathering at the southern end of James Bay in July; the main departure of adults is during second half of August. Juveniles start gathering in early August; most leave in mid-September to mid-October. Total population peaks mid-August.

Other staging sites include the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where several hundred occur in late July–late August (124 Maisonneuve, C., P. Brousseau and D. Lehoux. (1990). Critical fall staging sites for shorebirds migrating through the St. Lawrence system, Quebec. Canadian Field-Naturalist 104:372-378. Close ), and the Bay of Fundy, where tens are seen mid-July to September (125 Hicklin, P. W. (1987). The migration of shorebirds in the Bay of Fundy. Wilson Bulletin 99:540-570. Close ). From James Bay, the Hudsonian Godwitflies over the Maritime Provinces of Canada and New England, south to the Mid-Atlantic, and then out over the western Atlantic; low numbers are seen in these areas, and most individuals fly nonstop from James Bay to South America, a distance of at least 5,000 km (123 Morrison, R. I. G. and B. A. Harrington. (1979). Critical shorebird resources in James Bay and eastern North America. Paper read at Trans. 44th N. Am. Wildl. and Nat. Resour. Conf., at Washington, D.C. Close , 33 Morrison, R. I. G. (1984). Migration system of some New World shorebirds. In Behavior of Marine Animals. Volume 6. Shorebirds: Migration and Foraging Behavior (J. Burger and B. L. Olla, Editors). Plenum Press, New York, NY, USA. pp. 125–202. Close , NRS).

Typically rare inland in eastern Canada and eastern U.S., with most sightings involving single birds, occasionally flocks of up to 10. Regular, however, near western Lake Erie in Ohio, where most flocks number ≤ 10 birds; occasionally flocks > 100 seen (126 Peterjohn, B. G. (1989). The Birds of Ohio. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, IN, USA. Close ). Regular in small numbers at select sites along the Atlantic Coast, such as Monomoy Island on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where up to 200 have been found in August; higher counts are associated with severe northeasterly storms (127 Veit, R. R., and W. R. Petersen (1993). The Birds of Massachusetts. Massachussetts Audubon Society, Lincoln, Massachusetts, USA. Close ). Also an uncommon to fairly common transient in Delaware marshes along the coast of Delaware Bay (128 Hess, G. K., R. L. West, M. V. Barnhill III, and L. M. Fleming (2000). Birds of Delaware. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Close ). Selected dates: Montreal, late July–early November (129 Holohan, S. (1983). Shorebird migration at Montreal, Canada. Wader Study Group Bulletin 29:31-40. Close ); Magdalen Island, late July to mid-August (130 McNeil, R. and J. Burton. (1973). Dispersal of some southbound migrating North American shorebirds away from the Magdalen Is., Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Sable Is., Nova Scotia. Caribbean Journal of Science 13:257-267. Close ); Nova Scotia, early August–late October (131 Tufts, R. W. (1961). The birds of Nova Scotia. Halifax: Nova Scotia Mus. Close ); New Brunswick, mid-July to late October (132 Squires, W. A. (1976). The birds of New Brunswick. New Brunswick Museum Monograph Series number 7, St. John, NB, Canada. Close ); Massachusetts, early July to mid-October (127 Veit, R. R., and W. R. Petersen (1993). The Birds of Massachusetts. Massachussetts Audubon Society, Lincoln, Massachusetts, USA. Close ); Ohio, late August–late October (126 Peterjohn, B. G. (1989). The Birds of Ohio. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, IN, USA. Close ); New Jersey, most mid-August to mid-September, occasionally to late October (133 Sibley, D. A. (1997). Birds of Cape May. Second edition. Cape May Bird Observatory, New Jersey Audubon Society, Cape May, NJ, USA. Close , 134 Walsh, J., V. Elia, R. Kane, and T. Halliwell (1999). Birds of New Jersey. New Jersey Audubon Society, Bernardsville, New Jersey, USA. Close ); Delaware, early July–late November with most early August–late October (128 Hess, G. K., R. L. West, M. V. Barnhill III, and L. M. Fleming (2000). Birds of Delaware. University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Close ).

Elsewhere in North America, the Hudsonian Godwit is infrequent to rare (33 Morrison, R. I. G. (1984). Migration system of some New World shorebirds. In Behavior of Marine Animals. Volume 6. Shorebirds: Migration and Foraging Behavior (J. Burger and B. L. Olla, Editors). Plenum Press, New York, NY, USA. pp. 125–202. Close ); even in Ontario, it is considered unusual away from the Hudson Bay and James Bay coasts (135 James, R. D., P. L. McLaren, and J. C. Barlow (1976). Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Ontario. Royal Ontario Museum, ON, Canada. Close ). Extremely rare in most interior states through which birds pass in spring; fall passage in Kansas occurs early August–late September (116 Thompson, M. C., and C. Ely (1989). Birds in Kansas, Volume I. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Public Education Series 11. Close ).

Many records from the mid-south Atlantic coast of the U.S. and Barbados associated with strong easterly winds (136 Richardson, W. J. (1976). Autumn migration over Puerto Rico and the Western Atlantic: a radar study. Ibis 118:326-332. Close , 134 Walsh, J., V. Elia, R. Kane, and T. Halliwell (1999). Birds of New Jersey. New Jersey Audubon Society, Bernardsville, New Jersey, USA. Close ). Records from West Indies, where uncommon in Barbados, and very rare elsewhere, range early September–early November (137 Raffaele, H., J. Wiley, O. Garrido, A. Keith, and J. Raffaele (1998). A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ). Very rare migrant in the western U.S. and nonbreeding areas of Canada (138 Roberson, D. (1980). Rare Birds of the West Coast of North America. Woodcock Publications, Pacific Grove, CA, USA. Close , 10 Paulson, D. R. (1993). Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington, USA. Close ). Not found in Mexico during the fall (113 Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb (1995). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, New York, New York, USA. Close ). Tracking data and the frequency of New Zealand records (see Distribution: Extralimital Records) suggests that some birds join flocks of Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)s prior to migration and are capable of > 11,000 km non-stop flights (e.g., see 62 McCaffery, B. J., and C. M. Harwood (2000). Status of Hudsonian Godwits on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. Western Birds 31:165–177. Close ).

Most birds are presumed to arrive in South America south of the Orinoco River delta (2 Hagar, J. A. (1966). Nesting of the Hudsonian Godwit at Churchill, Manitoba. Living Bird 5:5-43. Close ), although staging sites in northern South America are not known (139 Harrington, B. A., C. Picone, S. Lara Resende and F. Leeuwenberg. (1993). Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica migration in southern Argentina. Wader Study Group Bulletin 67:41-44. Close ). Most reports from the Caribbean and South America north of 35°S are of small numbers; e.g., individuals or small flocks were reported in Trinidad mid-September to late October (140 ffrench, R. P. (1973). A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago. Wynnewood, PA: Livingston Publ. Co. Close ) and Venezuela from late July–mid December (141 Swallow, J. (1994). Hudsonian Godwit migration: a comment. Wader Study Group Bulletin 72:31. Close ). In Amazonia, it is thought to be extremely rare (142 Stotz, D. F., R. O. Bierregaard, M. Cohn-Haft, P. Peterman, and J. Smith (1992). The status of North American migrants in central Amazonian Brazil. Condor 94: 608–621. Close ), but observations made during the 1990s suggest the species is quite common at least at some locations, with > 100 birds seen in a day at Marchantaria Island near Manaus, Brazil, where adults are present at least from early September to mid-October and immatures from mid-September to mid-November (S. V. Wilson, B. Whitney, personal communication). Tracking data on migrating birds have shown individuals from Alaska staging in northern South America from southeastern Colombia to northwestern Brazil (Amazonas). A majority of birds migrating from Churchill flew directly to wintering sites further south in Argentina (Senner et al., unpublished data).

Elsewhere inland, they are reported from Paraguay as uncommon during southbound migration, September–December (143 Hayes, F. E., S. M. Goodman, J. A. Fox, T. G. Tamayo, and N. E. López (1990). North American bird migrants in Paraguay. Condor 92:947–960. Close , 101 Hayes, F. E., and J. A. Fox (1991). Seasonality, habitat use, and flock sizes of shorebirds at the Bahia de Asuncion, Paraguay. Wilson Bulletin 103:637–649. Close ); accidental in southern Peru, Bolivia, and northern Ecuador, with small numbers found on upland plateaus of the Patagonia steppe (100 Pearson, D. L. (1975). Range extensions and new records for bird species in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Condor 77:96–99. Close , 144 Remsen, J. V., Jr., and M. A. Traylor, Jr. (1989). An Annotated List of the Birds of Bolivia. Buteo Books, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA. Close , 89 Fjeldså, J., and N. Krabbe (1990). Birds of the High Andes. Apollo Books, Svendborg, Denmark. Close ). The few birds seen in northern South America during southbound migration and the period of several weeks between peak departure from Canada and arrival in southern South America suggest that additional staging sites remain to be found, perhaps inland in Amazonia.

More numerous farther south in Argentina and Chile, close to major wintering grounds (2 Hagar, J. A. (1966). Nesting of the Hudsonian Godwit at Churchill, Manitoba. Living Bird 5:5-43. Close , 33 Morrison, R. I. G. (1984). Migration system of some New World shorebirds. In Behavior of Marine Animals. Volume 6. Shorebirds: Migration and Foraging Behavior (J. Burger and B. L. Olla, Editors). Plenum Press, New York, NY, USA. pp. 125–202. Close , 139 Harrington, B. A., C. Picone, S. Lara Resende and F. Leeuwenberg. (1993). Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica migration in southern Argentina. Wader Study Group Bulletin 67:41-44. Close ). In southern Brazil, numbers peak in November, dropping during December, after which numbers remain stable throughout winter (38 Lara Resende, S. de M. (1988). Nonbreeding strategies of migratory birds at Lagoa do Peixe, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Master's Thesis, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY. Close ). Some birds that initially land in southern Brazil and Uruguay continue south to Tierra del Fuego, where they will remain until early May. Historically, flocks of up to 1,000 reached Argentina as early as July (92 Wetmore, A. (1927). Our migrant shorebirds in southern South America. U.S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin 26. Close ); in the coastal Buenos Aires Province, present from late August–late April but with fewer birds midwinter (103 Myers, J. P. and, L. P. Myers (1979). Shorebirds of coastal Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Ibis 121:186–200. Close , 33 Morrison, R. I. G. (1984). Migration system of some New World shorebirds. In Behavior of Marine Animals. Volume 6. Shorebirds: Migration and Foraging Behavior (J. Burger and B. L. Olla, Editors). Plenum Press, New York, NY, USA. pp. 125–202. Close , 145 Ieno, E. (2000). Las comunidades bentónicas de fondos blandos del norte de la Provincia de Buenos Aires: Su rol ecológico en el ecosistema costero. Tesis Doctoral, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina. Close ).

A number of individuals from breeding populations in Susitna Flats, Alaska and Churchill, Manitoba were equipped with data loggers to track migration to and from South America. Birds from Susitna Flats wintered on the coasts of Chile, on and around Chiloé Island (September 10–April 12). Some of these birds spent brief periods in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina before arriving in Chile (August 31–October 15). Individuals from the Churchill breeding population concentrated in either Uruguay and northeastern Argentina (October 3–May 6) or Tierra del Fuego (October 22–May 3). One bird split its time between both locations. All dates represent earliest arrivals and latest departures.

Historically, at least, small numbers occurred in central Argentina from April to September (91 Hudson, W. H. (1920) Birds of La Plata. Volume 1. Dent & Sons, London, United Kingdom. Close ); today the species occurs throughout this period in northern Argentina. These birds are presumably non-breeders, perhaps sub-adults, that make a short northward migration and over-summer in South America.

The Hudsonian Godwit is most often seen as a single bird or in small flocks during spring migration; occasionally groups of ≥ 50 (e.g., 98 Lowery, G. H., Jr. (1974). Louisiana Birds, revised third edition. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiaina, USA. Close , 118 Janssen, R. B. (1987). Birds in Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Close , 115 Pulich, W. M. (1988). The Birds of North Central Texas. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas, USA. Close ). It arrives on the breeding ground at Churchill in flocks of several to several dozen individuals. Flocks usually break up within a few hours or days (2 Hagar, J. A. (1966). Nesting of the Hudsonian Godwit at Churchill, Manitoba. Living Bird 5:5-43. Close , 72 Jehl, J. R., Jr., and B. A. Smith (1970). Birds of the Churchill region, Manitoba. Special Publication no. 1. Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Close ), but when spring is late, Hudsonian Godwits congregate in flocks of up to 400 on ponds in the townsite or on icy marshes along the Churchill River and on large tundra pools west of La Pérouse Bay (73 Cooke, F., R. K. Ross, R. K. Schmidt, and A. J. Pakulak (1975). Birds of the tundra biome at Cape Churchill and La Pérouse Bay. Canadian Field-Naturalist 89:413-422. Close , J. R. Jehl, Jr., personal communication). During the first day or two after arrival, individuals spend long periods sleeping and display infrequently (2 Hagar, J. A. (1966). Nesting of the Hudsonian Godwit at Churchill, Manitoba. Living Bird 5:5-43. Close ). Earliest flocks arriving on breeding grounds consist largely of males (72 Jehl, J. R., Jr., and B. A. Smith (1970). Birds of the Churchill region, Manitoba. Special Publication no. 1. Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Close ; T. Tobish, unpublished data). Uneven sex ratios reported in South Dakota in May (146 Coues, E. (1880). Note on Limosa haemastica. Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club 5:59-60. Close ) may also indicate that males migrate earlier in spring.

During fall, premigratory foraging flocks numbering up to the low hundreds start to gather on coastal mudflats near breeding areas (72 Jehl, J. R., Jr., and B. A. Smith (1970). Birds of the Churchill region, Manitoba. Special Publication no. 1. Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Close , 61 Kessel, B., and D. Gibson (1978). Status and distribution of Alaska birds. Studies in Avian Biology 1:1–100. Close , 35 Seppi, B. E. (1995). Hudsonian Godwit migration at Carter Spit, Alaska. Western Birds 26:167. Close ); migrating flocks range in size up to several hundred in major staging areas such as James Bay (41 Hope, C. E. and T. M. Shortt (1944). Southward migration of adult shorebirds on the west coast of James Bay, Ontario. Auk 61(4):572–576. Close , 2 Hagar, J. A. (1966). Nesting of the Hudsonian Godwit at Churchill, Manitoba. Living Bird 5:5-43. Close , 123 Morrison, R. I. G. and B. A. Harrington. (1979). Critical shorebird resources in James Bay and eastern North America. Paper read at Trans. 44th N. Am. Wildl. and Nat. Resour. Conf., at Washington, D.C. Close ). Farther south, much smaller flocks are typical, and gatherings of > 100 birds are rare between Canadian staging sites and areas north of 35°S. Flocks traveling along the west coast of James Bay in fall flew in “broad flat V's and crescent-shaped lines with very little wavering or changing of formation” (41 Hope, C. E. and T. M. Shortt (1944). Southward migration of adult shorebirds on the west coast of James Bay, Ontario. Auk 61(4):572–576. Close : 575). On departure from southern James Bay, birds fly in a southeasterly direction; migratory flights begin late afternoon and presumably continue into the night (2 Hagar, J. A. (1966). Nesting of the Hudsonian Godwit at Churchill, Manitoba. Living Bird 5:5-43. Close ).

At stopover sites, the Hudsonian Godwit often shares feeding habitat with a variety of other shorebird species.

Little information. At the Magdalen Islands, Quebec, the fat content of individuals increased from about one-third to one-half of their total dry weight during August, yielding a mean flight range estimate of 3,380 km (range 1,400–4,600 km, n = 4; 147 McNeil, R., and F. Cadieux (1972). Fat content and flight range capabilities of some adult and fall migrant North American shorebirds in relation to migration routes on the Atlantic coast. Can. Nat. 99:589-605. Close ). At Quill Lakes during the fall staging period, masses of birds collected before and after 11 August were significantly different (302 g ± 58 SD [n = 11] and 366 g ± 38 SD [n = 10], respectively); rate of fat deposition estimated at 2.4–2.8 g/d (4 Alexander, S. A. (1994). Inland staging by shorebirds during autumn migration: diet, prey availability, body composition, and flight range. Master's Thesis, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Close , 6 Alexander, S. A., and C. Gratto-Trevor (1997). Shorebird migration and staging at a large prairie lake and wetland complex: The Quill Lakes, Saskatchewan. Canadian Wildlife Service Occasional Papers no. 97. Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Close ). Lean mass was 250 g ± 8 SD (range 241–265, n = 8) for adult females and 216 g ± 12 SD (range 194–237, n = 13) for adult males. Fat mass for the same birds was 113 g ± 41 SD (range 50–152) and 79 g ± 39 SD (range 10–122) for females and males, respectively. Proportion of fat averaged 30% in females, 25% in males, and ranged up to 38%. No evidence for increase in protein mass, which averaged 51 g ± 3 SD (range 48–55) in females and 43 g ± 3 SD (range 37–49) in males (4 Alexander, S. A. (1994). Inland staging by shorebirds during autumn migration: diet, prey availability, body composition, and flight range. Master's Thesis, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Close ). Flight range estimates ranged from 4,900 to 6,700 km (4 Alexander, S. A. (1994). Inland staging by shorebirds during autumn migration: diet, prey availability, body composition, and flight range. Master's Thesis, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Close , 6 Alexander, S. A., and C. Gratto-Trevor (1997). Shorebird migration and staging at a large prairie lake and wetland complex: The Quill Lakes, Saskatchewan. Canadian Wildlife Service Occasional Papers no. 97. Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Close ), indicating that at least some individuals can manage a nonstop flight to South America.