Book Description

This highly illustrated book tells the story of the godwits and their migrations - why and how they do it. It follows the birds on their intrepid journeys, examining the places they visit, be it an estuary in northern New Zealand, a mudflat on the Chinese-North Korean border, or a tundra nesting site in Alaska. Keith Woodley, godwit expert and manager of the Miranda Shorebird Centre in New Zealand, details the amazing changes these bird undergo before and during their voyages - from moulting into new plumage, to doubling their weight and shrinking non-essential body organs - as well as their array of innate skills in weather prediction and global navigation, weaving the latest scientific findings into history, literature and folklore. In Godwits the author's eye-witness accounts and meticulous research culminate in a tale of navigation and stunning fortitude that will delight both professional bird watchers and general readers curious to discover more about one of nature's quiet achievers.