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Flight of the Godwit: Tracking Epic Shorebird Migrations
MP3 CD Format
SHOREBIRDS ARE ASOUNDING travelers, from the Bar-tailed Godwit that boasts the longest nonstop migratory flight of any bird, to the Hudsonian Godwit, whose young of the year migrate from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego on their own, having never before visited South America. Part travelogue, part field guide, and all adventure, Flight of the Godwit is an ornithologist's journey across North America to find his "Magnificent Seven," the grandest and most beautiful the shorebirds.
Beehler traveled by car, plane, helicopter, train, kayak, and on foot through 37 states and 9 Canadian provinces and territories to visit shorebird breeding grounds, staging sites, and wintering hotspots. Along the way, he encountered a marvelous range of birds and other creatures, which he brings to life with his descriptive field stories. He also details the cutting-edge science explaining the remarkable biology of the shorebirds and their migrations--their internal biological clocks, celestial cues that aid their orientation, and the use of quantum physics to "see" latitude and longitude when migrating.
In Flight of the Godwit, Beehler takes readers along as he surveys shorebirds from the Arctic Ocean to Hudson Bay, tromping through tundra, muskeg, sandflats and mountain summits. This fascinating firsthand account reveals the wonders and endurance of North America's shorebirds.
"If you've ever wanted to join the great shorebird migration across the hemisphere, this book will take you along on this magnificent and magical journey. Beehler's captivating blend of travelogue and bird guide takes you as close to flying with the birds as there is."--Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal, authors of A Wing and a The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds
SHOREBIRDS ARE ASOUNDING travelers, from the Bar-tailed Godwit that boasts the longest nonstop migratory flight of any bird, to the Hudsonian Godwit, whose young of the year migrate from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego on their own, having never before visited South America. Part travelogue, part field guide, and all adventure, Flight of the Godwit is an ornithologist's journey across North America to find his "Magnificent Seven," the grandest and most beautiful the shorebirds.
Beehler traveled by car, plane, helicopter, train, kayak, and on foot through 37 states and 9 Canadian provinces and territories to visit shorebird breeding grounds, staging sites, and wintering hotspots. Along the way, he encountered a marvelous range of birds and other creatures, which he brings to life with his descriptive field stories. He also details the cutting-edge science explaining the remarkable biology of the shorebirds and their migrations--their internal biological clocks, celestial cues that aid their orientation, and the use of quantum physics to "see" latitude and longitude when migrating.
In Flight of the Godwit, Beehler takes readers along as he surveys shorebirds from the Arctic Ocean to Hudson Bay, tromping through tundra, muskeg, sandflats and mountain summits. This fascinating firsthand account reveals the wonders and endurance of North America's shorebirds.
"If you've ever wanted to join the great shorebird migration across the hemisphere, this book will take you along on this magnificent and magical journey. Beehler's captivating blend of travelogue and bird guide takes you as close to flying with the birds as there is."--Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal, authors of A Wing and a The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds
272 pages, Hardcover
Published April 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 14, 2026
I enjoyed this book. At first I found the coining of the group the “Magnificent Seven” to be corny, but, as I read more, the love the author has for these birds bled through the page and I was infected by his enthusiasm. I too am now a fan of the “Magnificent Seven”. I’m giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 because of how heavy it was on his travels. I’m not sure why I expected different, but it made up such a huge portion of the book without tying in as much natural history information as I would have liked. At times I grew bored of reading similar paragraphs about driving on rural roads. That being said, the book was beautifully written, and there were also times where I really found myself picturing being in the experiences he was having and wanting to be there myself. I am now inspired to conduct a similar journey- I think to find the Bristle-thighed Curlews!
June 23, 2026
This book was interesting to me 50% of the time. The other 50% the author was recounting in great detail various geographical sites and wildlife he saw in rote fashion without any interesting facts about the subject matter. This book would be interesting to any of my Goodreads friends 0% of the time, so please don't pick it up unless you develop a borderline unhealthy interest in birding.
May 20, 2026
Nice book. I thought it was going to be more scientific study on godwit migration, but it’s really just more of a passionate guy that travels around trying to see shorebirds and visiting stopover sites. So definitely more of an adventure book if that’s your speed, but don’t expect to learn too much about current godwit research other than the basics. Fun illustrations throughout.
October 18, 2025
Bruce Beehler is fascinated with bird migration. His previous book, North on the Wing, focused on spring migration in warblers. In Flight of the Godwit, shorebird species with the most impressive migratory patterns provide his anchor. Though he calls out godwits in the title, and shows a definite fascination with them, the book actually addresses the natural history of all North American members of the Scolopacidae including sandpipers, phalaropes, yellowlegs, and dowitchers. He omits “shorebirds" in other families, such as plovers, that have less impressive migrations.
Beehler terms the seven largest sandpipers “The Magnificent Seven” and centers most of the book on these species. These include Whimbrel, two curlews - Bristle-thighed and Long-billed, Upland Sandpiper, and three godwits - Bar-tailed, Hudsonian, and Marbled. He describes them as the largest, most beautiful and farthest flying. The godwits and curlews have long sustained migratory flights which means fewer stop overs. This makes them more difficult for the typical North American birder to see.
The book is divided into three parts: an overview of the natural history of shorebirds and the author’s history with them, the author’s travels following Godwit migration in North America from Texas to the Arctic Circle, and a discussion of wintering habitat and migration research. The first and third sections are the strongest and provide good introductions to shorebirds in general and godwits in particular. The middle section sometimes reads like unedited notes from a travel journal with lists of places visited and species seen. Yet, sprinkled among the notes are compelling tidbits of natural history. For example, in a discussion of the four types of feeding and foraging, the author notes that species with curved bills can’t manipulate prey with their tongues because the bills are so long. They have to throw the prey down their throats with head jerking motions.
The book is decorated with beautiful illustrations by Alan Messer of each of the species discussed in their natural habitats. There are also 30 one page text boxes describing species or species groups (e.g. three phalarope species are treated in one group). The descriptions provide basic descriptions and notes on breeding, migration, and habitat.
Flight of the Godwit is not a field guide. It won’t help much with the struggles of identifying the numerous types of sandpipers. The book will however deepen your appreciation and understanding of shorebirds. You are sure to come away with at least a few fun facts you can remember.
Beehler terms the seven largest sandpipers “The Magnificent Seven” and centers most of the book on these species. These include Whimbrel, two curlews - Bristle-thighed and Long-billed, Upland Sandpiper, and three godwits - Bar-tailed, Hudsonian, and Marbled. He describes them as the largest, most beautiful and farthest flying. The godwits and curlews have long sustained migratory flights which means fewer stop overs. This makes them more difficult for the typical North American birder to see.
The book is divided into three parts: an overview of the natural history of shorebirds and the author’s history with them, the author’s travels following Godwit migration in North America from Texas to the Arctic Circle, and a discussion of wintering habitat and migration research. The first and third sections are the strongest and provide good introductions to shorebirds in general and godwits in particular. The middle section sometimes reads like unedited notes from a travel journal with lists of places visited and species seen. Yet, sprinkled among the notes are compelling tidbits of natural history. For example, in a discussion of the four types of feeding and foraging, the author notes that species with curved bills can’t manipulate prey with their tongues because the bills are so long. They have to throw the prey down their throats with head jerking motions.
The book is decorated with beautiful illustrations by Alan Messer of each of the species discussed in their natural habitats. There are also 30 one page text boxes describing species or species groups (e.g. three phalarope species are treated in one group). The descriptions provide basic descriptions and notes on breeding, migration, and habitat.
Flight of the Godwit is not a field guide. It won’t help much with the struggles of identifying the numerous types of sandpipers. The book will however deepen your appreciation and understanding of shorebirds. You are sure to come away with at least a few fun facts you can remember.
May 31, 2025
I enjoyed this book so much. It was such an interesting read and very well written, with so much good information about the birds plus highlights of the author's travels following the shorebird migrations. We are so fortunate here in our little corner of SD that we get such a good spring shorebird migration right in our county. We just recently realized how very lucky we are to see the Hudsonian Godwit in breeding plumage on a farm pond just a few miles from our house. This particular farm pond is really a magnet for a nice variety of shorebirds and other birds. The beautiful drawings are a wonderful addition to the book.
January 14, 2026
This book, after some biology, takes a little while to get going. The start of Beehler's journey includes a lot of "I went here and saw this," akin to someone telling you about their dream or their golf round. Once it picks up, though, it gets really good. Beehler focuses on his birds, but appreciates the strange places he gets to visit, bringing these locales to life. That's important for the science he conveys, particularly on the nesting grounds, where the experiences become vivid.
The final section, a brief look at the birds' wintering habits and the oddities of super-migration, is fascinating, too.
The final section, a brief look at the birds' wintering habits and the oddities of super-migration, is fascinating, too.
February 20, 2026
If I could give it 3.5 stars I would, but poor story telling, and odd pacing knock it back. Also odd way to count out most shorebirds by focusing on a small group only in his terms used, but that’s my bias more than anything.
September 10, 2025
This book was very interesting and I was able to take a class from the author. He has extensive knowledge of these birds and travels all over tracking them. It is amazing how far birds migrate.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews