Flight of the Godwit Tracking Epic Shorebird Migrations By Bruce M. Beehler
Soar across 46 North American territories to uncover the secrets of 7 magnificent shorebirds, the world’s greatest nonstop travelers Flying more than 8,000 miles from Alaska to eastern Australia without stopping to eat or rest, the Bar-tailed Godwit holds the record for the longest nonstop migration of any land bird in the world. Flight of the Godwit invites readers on ornithologist Bruce M. Beehler’s awe-inspiring journey in search of North America’s largest and farthest-flying shorebirds.
Driving 35,000 miles between 2019 to 2023, Beehler sought birds he dubs the “Magnificent Seven”:
Hudsonian Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Marbled Godwit
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew
Bristle-thighed Curlew
Upland Sandpiper
Beehler interweaves colorful fieldwork stories and rich details on local culture with the natural history and biology of shorebirds—including evolution, the physics of migration, orientation, homing, foraging, diet, nesting, parental care, wintering, staging, elusive “super-migrators,” and the importance of conservation efforts.
Join a group of acoustic music lovers to play popular songs written when the Teales lived at Trail Wood, 1959-1993. A PDF of chords and lyrics will be provided. Participation is limited to ten participants per session.Registration isrequired. Please register by emailing trailwood@ctaudubon.org. Free.