The wading bird is classified as Red-listed in the UK due to its dramatic population decline and its scarcity as a breeding species.

Its appearance in the region is considered a special event by local wildlife enthusiasts.

Black Tailed Godwits at Rainton Meadows (Image: RAY HALDANE) The sighting was made by Northern Echo Camera Club member Ray Haldane.

The Black-tailed Godwit is a tall, long-legged wader more commonly seen on estuaries and coastal wetlands during the winter months, or passing through inland wetlands during migration.

In the UK, breeding populations are confined to small areas of East Anglia, Kent, and parts of North West England, making sightings in the North East unusual.

Rainton Meadows, managed by Durham Wildlife Trust, provides an important habitat of shallow wetlands and grasslands that attract migratory and uncommon species each year.

Black Tailed Godwits at Rainton Meadows (Image: RAY HALDANE) The arrival of the godwit highlights the site's growing importance as a safe stopover for threatened birds.

In summer plumage, the Black-tailed Godwit is unmistakable with its striking brick-orange chest and long, straight bill used to probe mud for invertebrates.

Even in its greyer winter plumage, the bird can be identified by its bold black-and-white wing markings and the black tail that gives the species its name.

Females tend to be larger than males, with longer bills, a feature that helps reduce competition between the sexes when feeding.

The godwit is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and listed as a Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework.

Globally, it is classed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List.

Local bird groups hope the sighting will draw attention to the need for continued conservation of wetlands, both in the UK and across the migratory routes that stretch as far as Africa and Iceland, depending on the subspecies.