Marbled Godwits are among the largest of North America’s shorebirds, measuring 12–15 inches in length with a wingspan of roughly 23–27 inches and sporting a long, slightly upturned bill about 4–4.7 inches from base to tip. In Arizona, they are primarily passage migrants, most often seen during spring (April–May) and fall (August–October) at mudflats, saline lakes and river margins—places like the ponds around Yuma and the Salt River reservoirs. Their plumage is a warm cinnamon-buff below and mottled brown above; in flight, their underwings flash a bright orange-rust. These godwits probe soft mud for worms, crustaceans and insect larvae, and although rare in winter, small numbers may linger on open mudflats if conditions remain unfrozen.
