On the trail of the Godwit

What do Ireland and Iceland have in common? Well the Black-tailed Godwit for one thing.

And it is the migration route of this bird which gave Scoil Iosaef School in Cobh in Ireland the idea to twin with a school in Iceland to share their mutual interest.

The Godwit flies to the mudflats in Cork Harbour for the winter months where the temperatures are somewhat warmer than those in Iceland before flying back in spring. 

And because many of these birds have been tagged with unique colour coded rings as part of an international study called Operation Godwit, some of the Godwits seen in Ireland have been spotted in Iceland too!

Willie McSweeney, a teacher at Scoil Iosaef Naofa School (St Joseph's in Irish) who co-ordinates the link, says his school was already involved with local wildlife projects back in 2006 when he had the idea for twinning. 

"When we realised the Godwit flew to Iceland we thought it would be terrific for our pupils to twin with a school there. 

"Jim Wilson, a local Irish Wildlife specialist, put us in touch with a school in the town of Siglufjordur in Northern Iceland and we have now been working together for over a year."

"The project has been really exciting for the kids," says Willie. "Local birdwatchers report sightings of the ringed Godwits to us. And we also go on field trips to the mudflats in Cork Harbour which are important feeding areas for the birds.

"We put together all the information and send it to our twin school in Iceland. Then in return the project co-ordinator in Iceland,Tomas Gunnarsson sends us the life history of that particular bird, and where it has been since it was ringed."

Amazing facts

"Once we have a Godwit life history, each pupil adopts a bird, or 'takes it under their wing' so to speak, and they plot all its movements on a map."

"It's very exciting to know that the very same bird we spotted here in Ireland has also been seen in Iceland."

One Black tailed Godwit is still being seen 26 years after it was ringed! 

Becca Hayhow, a postgrad student from East Anglia who is studying the Godwit, says that thanks to the efforts of volunteer observers tracking the movements of the ringed birds, they have found some amazing facts.

She adds, "Godwits mate for life and even though males and females have never been seen to spend the winter together, they arrive back in Iceland within three days of each other!"

All because of the Godwit

This is what some of the pupils have said about the link:

Sean says: "I think it is good to have linked up with a school in Iceland because we learn more about the culture and heritage of Iceland. It is all because of the Black tailed Godwit that we have friends now in Iceland."

Lucas says: 'We have listened to their music and learned some Icelandic that we would not have done otherwise.'

"I have found it a very rewarding experience" Stephen

How did they do that ?

The two schools were put in touch with each other through local contacts and Operation Godwit.

Find out more about the Irish school's Godwit Project on the Scoil Iosaef School website

Watch the Icelandic News film about this partnership - the Godwit story is 4th from the bottom.

If you want to get invovled in bird migration twinning, Join World Class and tell us which bird you are interested in. World Class will put you in touch with organisations which facilitate school twinning.

Find out more and join World Class in our Find A Twin section.