About the Long-billed Dowitcher
The long-billed dowitcher is a medium-sized shorebird with a relatively long bill belonging to the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae. In breeding plumage, adults are characterized by a rufous head and underparts with a darker mottled back and a large white upper rump only seen in flight. They feed in various freshwater habitats with their bill underwater in a "sewing machine" motion and have a mating display where males chase females in flight. The genus, Limnodromus is Ancient Greek from limne, "marsh" and dromos, "racer". The specific scolopaceus is Neo-Latin for "snipe-like", from Latin scolopax, scolopacis, a snipe or woodcock. The English name is from Iroquois and was first recorded in…
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The long-billed dowitcher is a medium-sized, stocky sandpiper with a bill about twice the length of its head. In all plumages, the long-billed dowitcher has a whitish supercilium and dark loral stripe that continuous past the eye. The tail is barred black and white with the black being almost twice the width of the white and a large distinctive white rump which extends up to the middle of its back. Long-billed dowitcher are in breeding plumage from approximately May to late August or early September. Voice: The long-billed dowitcher's main call, mostly heard in flight but also while on ground, is a high, sharp keek sometimes repeated as an accelerating quick double or triple note series. Its second, less common call is a tu given 1-8 times. Its song is described as pee-witch-er, and its alarm call is an explosive KEEK.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Long-billed Dowitcher lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Australia, Belgium, Finland, Venezuela, Morocco, French Guiana, St. Martin, Guam, Martinique, Turks & Caicos Islands, Cambodia, United Arab Emirates.
When to see the Long-billed Dowitcher
Peak activity in April · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusAdults' bodies are dark brown on top and reddish underneath.
Asian DowitcherLimnodromus semipalmatusAdults have dark legs and a long, straight dark bill, somewhat shorter than that of the long-billed dowitcher.
Side by side: Long-billed Dowitcher vs Short-billed Dowitcher
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