Godwits – Family Overview

Godwits are large, elegant wading birds belonging to the family Scolopacidae, which also includes sandpipers and snipes. They are characterised by their long legs, long slightly upturned bills, and graceful proportions.

Godwits are strongly associated with wetlands, mudflats, estuaries, coastal lagoons, and flooded grasslands. Many species are long-distance migrants, undertaking remarkable journeys between their breeding and wintering grounds.

These birds feed mainly on worms, molluscs, crustaceans, and other invertebrates, which they probe from soft mud using their long bills. Their foraging behaviour is typically deliberate and methodical, often in shallow water or along exposed mudflats.

During the breeding season, godwits occupy open tundra, grasslands, or marshy landscapes, while in the non-breeding season they form flocks in coastal and inland wetlands. Changes in plumage between breeding and non-breeding seasons can be striking in some species.

India hosts godwits primarily as winter visitors, where they are seen in coastal wetlands and inland water bodies. They are considered important indicator species for the health of wetland ecosystems.

This collection brings together photographs and videos of godwits recorded across different regions and habitats, highlighting their behaviour, seasonal plumage variation, and habitat use.

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Licensing & Prints

Selected photographs from this bird family are available for licensing and fine-art prints. You can explore curated images in the Godwits collection on BirdsPhotos Shop.