A Marbled Godwit in Niagara Falls

On March 13 a Marbled Godwit was photographed at Dufferin Islands, Niagara Falls by Lisa Prieur Bacon, a Welland-based photographer. The following morning, she posted the sighting to the Facebook group "Ontario Birds" and its identity was determined. The sighting eventually made its way to our local Whatsapp group and the Ontario Rare Bird Alert Facebook page. I was doing some work in Kincardine at the time but fortunately the godwit remained in the area throughout the afternoon and by 5:00 PM I had returned home to Niagara Falls. The first order of business was to find the godwit which did not take very long. It was not present in the area where it had been last reported but a short walk around the perimeter of the big pond let me right to where the bird was feeding, in a narrow strip of grass between the pond and the parking lot.

Marbled Godwit - Dufferin Islands, Niagara Falls, Ontario

Despite the strange setting that seemed very much out of place for any shorebird that was not a Killdeer, the Marbled Godwit seemed to be feeding rather successfully. It probed the short grassy areas within a few meters of the water's edge with its long bill and frequently pulled up tasty, unidentified morsels which disappeared quickly. It was difficult to get a shot with its bill in the air since the bird was feeding so heavily. It was likely replenishing fuel that was spent on a long flight from the Prairies to Niagara Falls.

Marbled Godwit - Dufferin Islands, Niagara Falls, Ontario

Marbled Godwit is a common breeding species in the northern prairies, but there is an isolated population that breeds in the grassy flats of the of the James Bay lowlands, and another population found in western Alaska. Interestingly, the prairie birds migrate southeast to winter along the coast from North Carolina south to the Gulf of Mexico, while the James Bay birds fly southwest and winter along the Pacific, in California and Mexico. It is presumed that many of the Marbled Godwits we see in southern Ontario are from the prairie population.

Marbled Godwit - Dufferin Islands, Niagara Falls, Ontario

Strangely enough, prior to this individual there were no confirmed records of Marbled Godwit for Niagara Region, despite it being an annual migrant in Hamilton, just a short distance to the west. While this species is never common during migration in southern Ontario, one would think that we would have seen a few Marbled Godwits in Niagara by now. I was informed by a local birder that there is one record of this species in the Buffalo Ornithological Society's archives for Niagara Region, Ontario. The record was from Windmill Point on August 19, 2007. I am currently trying to get more details of this.

Marbled Godwit - Dufferin Islands, Niagara Falls, Ontario

Ageing Marbled Godwits is not as straightforward as with most shorebird species. This one can be aged as a juvenile due to the relatively short bill, clean buffy underparts, and crisp back and wing feathers with minimal wear.

Marbled Godwit - Dufferin Islands, Niagara Falls, Ontario

At one point the Marbled Godwit managed to get a feather stuck on its bill. This instigated a furious fifteen seconds of activity until the annoyance was removed.

Marbled Godwit - Dufferin Islands, Niagara Falls, Ontario

As of this morning the Marbled Godwit continues to be found at Dufferin Islands, despite the abundance of picnickers, dogs, and belligerent Canada Geese and Ring-billed Gulls. Good luck to anyone who is out searching for it!