Flight of the Godwit is just being released by Smithsonian Books.
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Join Smithsonian ornithologist Bruce Beehler on his epic journeys across 37 states and 9 Canadian provinces to follow the migrations of the “Magnificent 7,” North America’s largest and farthest-flying shorebirds. Considered the world’s greatest nonstop migrants, Bar-tailed Godwits fly more than 8,000 miles from Alaska to eastern Australia without stopping to eat or rest – it’s the record for the longest non-stop migration of any land bird in the world! And the migrations of Hudsonian Godwits, Bristle-thighed Curlews, Upland Sandpipers, and others are just as exciting.
Flight of the Godwit, Tracking Epic Shorebird Migrations, invites readers along with ornithologist Bruce Beehler on his awe-inspiring auto-based journeys in search of North America’s largest shorebirds during migration stopovers and in their nesting ranges. Driving 35,000 miles during travel periods from 2019 to 2023, Beehler searched for birds he dubbed the “Magnificent Seven” – Hudsonian Godwits, Bar-tailed Godwits, Marbled Godwits, Whimbrels, Long-billed Curlews, Bristle-thighed Curlews, Upland Sandpipers – and many others encountered along the way.
As an author, Beehler interweaves colorful stories from the field and rich details about local culture with the natural history and biology of shorebirds, including the physics of migration, orientation, homing, foraging, diet, nesting, adult care, staging, wintering, elusive “super-migrators,” and the importance of conservation actions on behalf of shorebirds across the Americas and beyond.
This is an immersive birding travelogue that belongs in every birder’s library owing to the authoritative prose by Bruce Beeler graced with 30 impressive black-and-white illustrations from artist Alan Messer, and some helpful migration maps. Flight of the Godwit is a captivating adventure and a tribute to remarkable birds, and birding itself. For more information, see Flight of the Godwit: Tracking Epic Shorebird Migrations - | Smithsonian Books Store