Long-billed Dowitcher

Adults have yellowish legs and a long straight dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and reddish underneath with spotted throat and breast, bars on flanks. The tail has a black and white barred pattern. The winter plumage is largely grey.

The Long-billed Dowitcher is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Long-billed Dowitcher is a chunky, medium-sized sandpiper distinguished by a sturdy bill that extends twice the length of its head and by a characteristic “sewing machine” motion while feeding. In flight, it exhibits a white triangular patch above its tail and white uppertail-covers and it emits a distinctive keek call when flying and feeding. More

The Long-billed Dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus, is a medium-sized shorebird. Adults have yellowish legs and a long straight dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and reddish underneath with spotted throat and breast, bars on flanks. The tail has a black and white barred pattern. The winter plumage is largely grey. Their breeding habitat is wet tundra in the far north of North America and eastern Siberia. They nest on the ground, usually near water. More

Long-billed Dowitcher, is a medium-sized, stocky, long-billed shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It is an inhabitant of North America, Middle America, and northern South America. It is strongly migratory; it completely vacates in breeding areas during the snow-bound months. This species favors a variety of habitats including tundra in the north to ponds and mudflats in the south. It feeds on invertebrates often by rapidly probing its bill into mud in a sewing machine fashion. More

The Long-billed Dowitcher has a large range, estimated globally at 100,000 to 1,000,000 square kilometers. Native to Asia and the Americas and introduced to Europe, this bird prefers wetland and marine ecosystems. The global population of this bird is estimated at 500,000 individuals and does not show signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of the Long-billed Dowitcher is Least Concern. More

Long-billed Dowitcher: Breeds in western Alaska and northwestern Canada. Spends winters along the coast from Washington and Virginia south to Guatemala. During breeding season lives on tundra; found on mudflats, marshes, and edges of freshwater ponds and marshes during winter. Breeding and Nesting Long-billed Dowitcher: Four brown to olive eggs with brown and gray blotches are laid in a shallow, elevated ground scrape lined with grass and moss, often built near water. More

Two Long-billed Dowitchers in a tundra pond. Adult Long-billed Dowitcher in breeding colors.The Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) is a fairly common breeder throughout the Seward Peninsula. These are easily identified by their long white stripe on their back visible while in flight as well as their general profile. Its bill is very long and slightly decurved. The female may have a longer bill. More

and sewing machine-like feeding action, the Long-billed Dowitcher is most common west of the Mississippi. Come watch nesting birds at Nestcams. More

Long-billed Dowitcher is a rare but regular visitor to western Europe, with some individuals staying for long periods. These birds forage by probing in shallow water or on wet mud. They mainly eat insects, mollusks, crustaceans and marine worms, but also eat some plant material. They are more likely to be seen near fresh water than the Short-billed Dowitcher. References - * BirdLife International (2004). Limnodromus scolopaceus. 2006. More

In America at least, long-billed Dowitchers are said to prefer freshwater habitats whereas Short-bills are more likely on coastal shorelines. Migration Breeding birds including the Siberia population winter on Pacific and Atlantic coasts of America, as far south as California across to Florida. Majority moving between south between July and September, return passage noted in April and May. This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. More

North American RangeThe Long-billed Dowitcher is very similar in appearance to the Short-billed Dowitcher. Both birds are medium to large shorebirds. In breeding plumage, they are reddish underneath and mottled brown above. In flight, they show a pale trailing edge on their wings and a distinctive white blaze up their backs, which easily identifies them as dowitchers. The distinction between the two species is not as simple. More

The Long-Billed Dowitcher is a medium sized shorebird with an extremely long bill. Since many birds have long bills, you should learn the other ways to identify this shorebird. Difficulty: Moderately EasyInstructions 1. Step 1 Search during breeding season on the tundra in Canada and Alaska near the Arctic Ocean. More

Long-billed Dowitcher in breeding plumage Long-billed Dowitcher in breeding plumage All photos on this web page More

Pond in Markham with a Long-billed Dowitcher at Hillman Marsh near Point Pelee First published in Toronto Birds Vol 3 No 5. May 2009 Jean Iron and Ron Pittaway Photo 1. Two subspecies of Short-billed Dowitcher occur in Ontario. This is a typical nominate or eastern Limnodromus griseus griseus. It is much rarer than the interior hendersoni subspecies in photo 2 in the GTA because it breeds mainly in northern Quebec. More

Long-billed DowitcherThe long-billed dowitcher is 11-12 inches in length. It has a long, straight black bill; long, green legs; a white lower back and rump; and white eyebrows. In the summer, adults have reddish underparts, bars on their breasts and sides, and reddish edges on the feathers on their uppersides. Winter dowitchers are gray. Males and females look alike, but the female is slightly larger and has a longer bill. More

long-billed dowitchers at Connah's Quay NR, where up to 13 spotted redshanks and 5,000 black-tailed godwits feed.bird notes by Daily Post (Liverpool, England)The name of this bird can be somewhat misleading, as its bill is only short in comparison with the Long-billed Dowitcher.OUTDOORS BRIEFLY by The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)The name of this bird can be somewhat misleading, as its bill is only short in comparison with the Long-billed Dowitcher. More