Godwits
Subtitle: long-haul champions
By: Keith Woodley.
Publisher: Raupo
Published: 2009
Place of publication: North Shore, N.Z
Language: eng
Number of pages: 239
ISBN-13: 9780143011934
Subjects: Bar-tailed godwit -- Migration; Bar-tailed godwit; Bar-tailed godwit -- New Zealand
Description: Godwits : Long-Haul Champions, an enchanting, wonderfully illustrated book by shorebird expert Keith Woodley, tells the miraculous story of the godwits and their migrations - why and how they do it. It follows the birds on their intrepid journeys, examining the places they visit, be it an estuary in northern New Zealand, a mudflat on the Chinese-North Korean border, or a tundra nesting site in Alaska. Woodley, respected godwit expert and manager of the Miranda Shorebird Centre, details the amazing changes these birds undergo before their departure - from moulting into new plumage, to doubling their weight and shrinking non-essential body organs - as well as outlines their array of innate skills in weather prediction and global navigation. Incorporating the author's own eye-witness accounts as well as meticulous research, this tale of navigation and stunning fortitude is written in a compelling yet accessible style that will appeal to both professional bird watchers and general readers curious to discover more about one of nature's quiet achievers.
Notes: "New Zealand to the world - One bird's voyage"--Cover.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 227-231) and index.
Table of contents: title: On godwits; title: On migration; title: Intertidal flat: avian oilfields; title: Feathers and fat: preparing for migration; title: On flight: the journey north; title: Ultimate pit stop: the Yellow Sea; title: The flyway: trouble along the interstate; title: A bird in the hand I: on a plate; title: A bird in the hand II: to band and conserve; title: Alaska: arrival on the tundra; title: Bringing it all back home I: the business of breeding; title: Bringing it all back home II: eggs and chickens; title: Bridging the ocean: from ptilopaedic to trans-Pacific; title: Satellite tracking: migration with an audience; title: E7: elusive media star; title: Flying forward: what is the future for godwits.