Limosa lapponica (Linnaeus, 1758)
Bar-tailed Godwit
Species recognized by The Integrated Taxonomic Information System
, T Orrell (custodian) in 
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General Description
Organ changes enable long migration: bar-tailed godwit
Source and Additional Information
The metabolism of the eastern bar-tailed godwit allows it to survive long-distance migration by absorbing and then rebuilding tissue from its organs.
"A grotesque phenomenon known as autophagy or autocannibalism, in which an animal eats portions of its own body, can be used as an aid to migration. Intriguingly, the eastern bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica baueri), a wading bird, exhibits a similar but more subtle behavior that appears to assist its long-distance migration. As revealed in 1998 by Groningen University researcher Dr. Theunis Piersma and Dr. Robert Gill from the U.S. Geological Survey, before setting out on its 6,800 mile (11,000 km) migration from Alaska to New Zealand, this bird builds up huge amounts of fat to sustain it on its flight. In order to provide itself with enough room to house all of this extra fuel, yet also keep its weight down for flying, the godwit absorbs up to 25 percent of the tissue comprising its liver, kidneys, and alimentary canal. Only when the bird completes its migration are these organs reformed in their entirety. This is the first time that partial organ absorption and subsequent reconstitution has been documented in a species of migratory bird." (Shuker 2001:71)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
References
- Shuker, KPN. 2001. The Hidden Powers of Animals: Uncovering the Secrets of Nature. London: Marshall Editions Ltd. 240 p.
- Piersma, T.; Gill, R.E., Jr. 1998. Guts don't fly: small digestive organs in obese Bar-tailed Godwits. Auk. 115(1): 196-203.
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"Limosa lapponica (Linnaeus, 1758)". Encyclopedia of Life, available from "http://www.eol.org/pages/1049548". Accessed
18 Mar 2010.
