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Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus

Near Threatened · IUCN Red List

NTNear ThreatenedInvertebratesWetlandScrapeMedium · 104 g
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus), photo 1
Photo: Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA · CC BY 2.0
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus), photo 2
Photo: TRinaud · CC BY 4.0
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus), photo 3
Photo: TRinaud · CC BY 4.0
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus), photo 4
Photo: Millie Basden · CC BY 4.0
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus), photo 5
Photo: Tser · CC BY 4.0
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus), photo 6
Photo: Trey Philips · CC BY 4.0
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus), photo 7
Photo: Trey Philips · CC BY 4.0
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus), photo 8
Photo: Tser · CC BY 4.0
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus), photo 9
Photo: Bob Miller · CC BY 4.0
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus), photo 10
Photo: Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA · CC BY 2.0

ID tip

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.

When to see the Long-billed Dowitcher

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 11 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is April, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Long-billed Dowitcher

Regular rangeRare visitor

The map shades 54 countries with regular records, and 14 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

United States Canada Mexico Sweden United Kingdom Taiwan Belize Spain Japan Guatemala Portugal Russia Costa Rica Cayman Islands El Salvador Cuba Hong Kong SAR China Ireland Norway Honduras China France Nicaragua Germany Bermuda Bahamas Netherlands Puerto Rico Thailand Colombia Panama Israel South Korea Iceland Bulgaria Barbados Denmark Poland Northern Mariana Islands Italy Greece Ecuador Mongolia Philippines Malaysia Hungary Slovenia Caribbean Netherlands Oman Dominican Republic Marshall Islands Guadeloupe Antigua & Barbuda Aruba

Recorded as a rare visitor in India, Australia, Belgium, Finland, Venezuela, Morocco, Ukraine, French Guiana, St. Martin, Guam, Martinique, Turks & Caicos Islands, Cambodia, United Arab Emirates.

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.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusAdults' bodies are dark brown on top and reddish underneath. Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus) 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 · Asian Dowitcher vs Long-billed Dowitcher

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