A new case of Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa breeding in Silesia

A breeding of Black-tailed Godwit was found
in spring 2020 on fish ponds near Potasznia
in Milickie Ponds nature reserve (Lower Silesia).
A pair was observed between April 30th
and May 10th, with one bird incubating and the
other actively chasing away other birds. The nest
was located at the edge of a Black-headed Gull
colony, on a pond island. The clutch succumbed
to flooding after heavy rainfall. It is the first record
of Black-tailed Godwit breeding in Silesia
since 2012. Bearing in mind the ongoing decline
of the species in Poland and the extinction of its
permanent population in the Silesian Ornithological
Region, the described case was probably
an ephemeral one. The unusual breeding site
(fish ponds) results from the disappearance of
the optimal habitats. Similar breeding attempts
in suboptimal biotopes cannot be ruled out in
the future.