Marbled Godwit

Caption on print: Great Marbled Godwit

The standing bird was drawn at Sandy Key on May 31, 1832. The preening bird had previously been drawn in Louisiana in 1821.

"On the 31st of May 1832, I saw an immense number of these birds on an extensive mud-bar bordering one of the Keys of Florida, about six miles south of Cape Sable. When I landed with my party, the whole, amounting to some thousands, collected .... Four or five guns were fired at once, and the slaughter was such, that I was quite satisfied with the number obtained, both for specimens and for food. ... Those which we killed were plump, and afforded excellent eating."

Reproductions