About
Soar across 46 North American territories to uncover the secrets of 7 magnificent shorebirds, the world's
greatest nonstop travelers
An immersive travelogue that belongs on every birder's bookshelf, with 30 gorgeous black-and-white illustrations
and a birdwatching species checklist
Flying more than 8,000 miles from Alaska to eastern Australia without stopping to eat or rest, the Bar-tailed
Godwit holds the record for the longest nonstop migration of any land bird in the world. Flight of the Godwit
invites readers on ornithologist Bruce M. Beehler's awe-inspiring journey in search of North America's largest
and farthest-flying shorebirds. Driving 35,000 miles between 2019 to 2023, Beehler sought birds he dubs the
"Magnificent Seven":
Hudsonian Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Marbled Godwit
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew
Bristle-thighed Curlew
Upland Sandpiper
Beehler interweaves colorful fieldwork stories and rich details on local culture with the natural history and
biology of shorebirds-including evolution, the physics of migration, orientation, homing, foraging, diet, nesting,
parental care, wintering, staging, elusive "super-migrators," and the importance of conservation efforts.
With authoritative prose and 30 beautiful black-and-white illustrations from artist Alan T. Messer, the book
journeys through 37 states and 9 Canadian provinces from Texas to Alaska to Canada's High Arctic. Flight of
the Godwit is a captivating adventure and a tribute to remarkable birds and birding itself.
