Why should Black-tailed Godwits still winter in West-Africa if Southern Iberia is just as good? Expedition Report University of Groningen and Global Flyway Network, november 2014

The Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa; BTG) is a meadow bird (Verstrael 1987; Thijse 1904). The
current Dutch population is estimated at 40.000 breeding pairs and represents an important part of
the total continental BTG population Limosa limosa limosa. However, the number of breeding pairs
have declined rapidly over the last decades, as compared to the 120.000 pairs in the 1960s (Mulder
1972). This is mainly caused by a change in agricultural land use. Intensification and rationalisation
have led to degradation of the breeding habitat, resulting in low reproduction. The major cause of
the decline is the simple fact that the total population in the Netherlands cannot produce enough
chicks for a stable population. (Vickery et al. 2001; Newton 2004; Tscharnke et al. 2005; Teunissen &
soldaat 2006). After the breeding season godwits migrate to southern Europe (Spain) and WestAfrica where they stay for wintering. (Márquez-Ferrando et al. 2009; Hooijmeijer et al. 2011).