Black-tailed godwit  (Limosa limosa)

The Icelandic subspecies of the black-tailed godwit (L. l. islandica) breeds in Iceland, the Faeroes, and in the UK on Orkney and Shetland (4). These birds move south after the end of June to overwinter in the rest of Britain (6), Ireland, France reaching as far south as Morocco (7). In Europe, the nominate race (L. l. limosa) breeds in England, through Europe to Russia (4). The British breeding birds migrate to West Africa in order to overwinter (6). The current British breeding range of this subspecies has been greatly reduced. All breeding sites are in England, with a few clustered together in East Anglia (4).

The preferred wintering habitats of the Icelandic subspecies are muddy estuaries, and coastal lagoons with fine sediments (6) (3). Breeding occurs in lowland wet grasslands, wet meadows, pastures and in Shetland on marshes at the edge of moorland (3) (2). The occurrence of this species is a good indicator of farmland with a high value for nature conservation (4).