The Icelandic Black tailed Godwit breeds in Iceland during the summer and spends the rest of the year on the wetlands of Western Europe. Ireland is very important for the Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit. As much as 20% of the worlds population of Icelandic Black-tailed Godwits spend the winter in Ireland and over 2% of the world's population spend time in Cork harbour. The Black-tailed Godwit is a big wader with long legs, a long straight beak, a long white wing stripe and a black band on the tail from which it gets its English name. In the winter its plumage is mainly grey brown and in the summer its head, breast and belly turn rusty red.

Black-tailed Godwits in Winter Plumage