Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus

A long-billed shorebird recognizable for both its distinctive profile and sewing machine-like feeding action, the Long-billed Dowitcher is most common west of the Mississippi.

Interesting Information

Most Siberian breeding Long-billed Dowitchers likely migrate to the Americas during the winter.
Although both sexes share incubation of the eggs, only the male takes care of the young once they hatch.
A group of sandpipers has many collective nouns, including a "bind", "contradiction", "fling", "hill", and "time-step" of sandpipers.
Their bills are full of nerve endings, which are useful for sensing prey. They walk along slowly, lifting their heads up and down like a sewing machine.

Description

Adult Description

Medium-sized shorebird.
Bill twice as long as head.
Moderately long, pale legs.
Length Range: 28-32 cm (11-12.5 in)
Weight: 99 g (3.5 oz)
Size: Medium (9 - 16 in)
Color Primary: Brown, Rufous or Rust
Underparts: Rust-brown with black bars.
Upperparts: Black, gray-brown and rust-brown, appearing scaled.
Back Pattern: Striped or streaked, Mottled
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Scaled or Scalloped

Sex Differences

Sexes Simliar

Immature

Juvenal plumage with brownish gray chest and flanks, less spotting and barring than breeding adults. Back feathers dark centered with broad buffy edges, giving a slightly scaly appearance. Tertials dark grayish with narrow rusty edges.

Photo taken from: The Sibley Field Guide by David Allen Sibley

Habitat

Found on mudflats, marshes, and edges of freshwater ponds and marshes during winter.

Behavior

Probes deeply into soft substances to the depth of the bill, sometimes submerging the head. Short jabbing and probing in distinctive "sewing machine" motion.

Food

Aquatic invertebrates and insects.

Taxonomy

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Scolopacidae
Genus:	Limnodromus
Species:	Limnodromus scolopaceus

Similar Species

Wilson's Snipe has similar proportions, but has dark rump and tail and golden stripes down back.
Stilt Sandpiper has longer legs, a shorter, slightly down-curved bill, and a white rump that does not extend up the back.
Short-billed Dowitcher is extremely similar and difficult to distinguish in most plumages. Voice is best character to distinguish adults. Juvenile short-billed has tiger-striped tertials instead of plain gray ones.

Bird Sound

Flight call a sharp "peep," or quick series of two to five notes, "pee-p-p-pep."

Eggs look like this

Photo taken from: ARCTOS Collaborative Collection Management Solution

	Sources Used To Construct This Page
	Takekawa, J. Y., and N. Warnock. 2000. Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus). In The Birds of North America, No. 493 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

	All photos and videos © Rick Swartzentrover - Free for non-profit use.