Marbled Godwits are commonly seen in flocks with Whimbrels and Long-billed Curlews, both large and brown like the Marbled Godwit. It plunges its two-toned, long, and slightly upturned bill deep into sand and mud to pull out aquatic invertebrates and plant tubers. It plunges its two-toned, long, and slightly upturned bill deep into sand and mud to pull out aquatic invertebrates and plant tubers. Big, noisy, and cinnamon-colored, it is conspicuous on its tundra nesting grounds. Bar-tailed Godwit. Its pale brown under wings are visible in flight. In Alaska it may be a rare but regular migrant in spring in the Aleutian Islands. The rarest of the four godwits in our area, the Black-tail nests in Eurasia and is only a stray to North America. Yalu Jiang wetland is also extremely important for the Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica), which is also declining rapidly. This is at least 22% of the population using the East Asian-Australian Flyway, which has declined by 18% since 1999. Marbled Godwit: This large sandpiper has black-marked, dark brown upperparts, and lightly barred, chestnut-brown underparts. Bar-tailed Godwits from Alaska spend the winter in the Old World. The bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries.It has distinctive red breeding plumage, long legs, and a long upturned bill. Shorebirds have some of the most interesting bill shapes and the Marbled Godwit is no exception with its swordlike bill. It has a long pink bill with a black tip that is slightly upcurved. Marina Park Pathway, Emeryville, CA . On our Atlantic Coast it is only casual or accidental, but strays have been found in several states and provinces, from Newfoundland to Florida. It often inserts its entire bill into the mud, and its head is totally submerged at times. The Marbled Godwit moves slowly, probing for food under the mud with its sensitive bill. Feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, worms, insects, seeds and berries. It has a swift and direct flight. Shorebirds have some of the most interesting bill shapes and the Marbled Godwit is no exception with its swordlike bill. Usually seen in Asia and Europe, this lone Bar-tailed Godwit (most likely a juvenile) is a rare visitor to the Bay Area and, for that matter, most of North America. Widespread in summer across northern Europe and Asia, this godwit also crosses the Bering Strait to nest in western Alaska.