This is Bird Note.

A hundred years ago, we'd given up on the Hudsonian Godwit.

The American ornithologist Alexander Wetmore wrote the species of Sandpiper off as extinct in 1926.

He lamented the passing of this fine bird, attributed to the greed of gunners, who were attracted

to its large size and delicate taste. The Hudsonian godwood has probably never been common,

but even in Wetmore's Day, the situation was not as dire as he thought.

After nesting in the high Arctic,

Hudsonians migrate south on a route that takes them over the ocean from Canada to South America.

In spring, they head north through the sparsely populated Great Plains.

It's no wonder they were so rarely seen. Today, the population of

this rusty-breasted shorebird is estimated to be in the tens of thousands. But the Hudsonian

Godwit is still in a tight spot. In 2019, Canada added the bird to its list of threatened species.

Its Arctic nesting grounds are threatened by melting permafrost and sea level rise, and its wintering grounds are threatened

by pollution and beachfront development. Let's hope that Alexander Wetmore's fears for this

bird's continued survival don't become reality.

For Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein.

This episode is brought to you in memory of longtime Bird Note fan and supporter, Philip Stoller,

and with thanks to his family for their support.