The Black-tailed Godwit (Tringa erythropus) belongs to the mid-sized shorebirds. From the slightly, but distinctly downward-pointing tip of the bill to the end of the tail it measures 29 to 33 cm, and its wingspan is between 48 and 52 cm. It is an elegant bird with a long and slender black bill that is red only at the base of the lower mandible. Its long legs are red in winter, but in summer they turn black. The adult's summer plumage is also sooty black, only the tail and wings at that time are adorned with a white pattern. In flight we recognize it by a white, cigar-shaped patch on the back, by the whiteness at the base of the underside of the wing, and by the toes that protrude from behind the tail. In winter its plumage is quite different: the head, neck, back, wings and tail are gray, the wings and tail somewhat black-and-white banded, while the belly is whitish. Its red legs and a white band between the upper part of the bill and the eyes stand out.
This carnivorous species is active both day and night. It mainly hunts aquatic insects (water beetles, true bugs…) and their larvae. In addition, its diet includes small crustaceans (amphipods, isopods), adult terrestrial insects, polychaetes (in coastal areas), less frequently also small amphibians and fish. It also differs from the similar Red-necked Godwit in that during hunting it tends to wade in deeper water and often also swims.
The Black-tailed Godwit is threatened by habitat loss in its wintering areas and on its migratory routes.
