According to Birds of Ecuador (Ridgely & Greenfield 2001, Vol 1) there are only two records of Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa in Ecuador. One 19th century record from El Oro and one at Ecuasal, Salinas in 1980. However, there are counts of up to 55 in northwest Peru so they obviously have to pass through and also winter in Ecuador.

25-27 september 2007 I was at Bahia de Caraquez, Manabí, on a family holiday and went birding along the Rio Chone estuary, without any information about where to go birding. Within half an hour I had found a group of 6 Marbled Godwits that were feeding on the extensive mudflats. Since then I have seen them on the same patch of mud every year with up to 20 present 26-27 february 2008. Most recently 7 were present 23-24 march 2010.

Apart from these recent records the only other that I am aware of is one seen at Ecuasal, Salinas in august 2008 (Ben Haase pers comm).

Roger Ahlman

►Back to the News