The godwits currently residing at Omaha Beach are preparing for their epic non-stop migration up to the Alaskan Tundra to breed, via refueling and recovery stopovers in the Yellow Sea, China, and North Korea.

This epic, world record migration is one of the true wonders of our planet as their flight is fueled by only stored body fat, they don't stop, rest, eat, drink, sleep or glide, they flap their wings the entire way. They are called powered migrants.

This part of their migration to the Yellow Sea is 10,000 kilometres, and will take between seven to nine days, weather dependent, so they need to have doubled their body weight before they leave to fuel this flight, or they simply drop into the ocean and die. The world is seeing a massive decline in our migratory bird numbers, but we can all help, with just a few extra steps to save their lives.

The godwits you see at the beach are the same ones who come back every year; it's their home, they are part of our community and can live into their 20s. However, it's a hard life and a lot now die in their teens.

Please give them lots of space at high tide when they gather in groups to rest and sleep as they are converting the food into fat and fuel. The week or so prior to leaving. these incredible birds also shrink and absorb some of their migration non-essential organs like their digestive system and liver to make room for more fat, fuel, muscle, and an enlarged cardiovascular system, while keeping their overall weight down low enough to be able to make this amazing non-stop migration.

Godwits are easily spooked, but do take your binoculars down to the beach and get a look at these beautiful birds, as they go into breeding plumage. The normally dull looking birds are bursting forth with wonderful rust-coloured breeding feathers.

Godwits hold cultural significance for many New Zealanders. For Maori they were birds of mystery and were believed to accompany spirits of the departed; but they were also a source of food. Bar-tailed godwits are fully protected in New Zealand. Current count data indicates an annual population decline of nearly 2%. The primary driver of this is extensive habitat loss at staging areas in the Yellow Sea region.