Godwits long-haul champions Keith Woodley.

"New Zealand to the world - One bird's voyage"--Cover.

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

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.