Short-billed Dowitcher

Short-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus griseus

A medium to large shorebird with a long bill, the Short-billed Dowitcher is a common and conspicous migrant that uses a "sewing-machine" method of foraging across the mud flats. Its long bill is short only in comparison with the very similar Long-billed Dowitcher.

Interesting Information

The nest and eggs of this species eluded discovery until 1906, and even that information was overlooked for a long while because they were attributed to the Long-billed Dowitcher. The nesting grounds of the eastern race were not discovered until the late 1950s.
Although both sexes share incubation of the eggs, only the male takes care of the young once they hatch.
Until 1950, the Short-billed Dowitcher and Long-billed Dowitcher were considered to be one species.
The name of this bird can be somewhat misleading, as its bill is only short in comparison with the Long-billed Dowitcher.A group of sandpipers has many collective nouns, including a "bind", "contradiction", "fling", "hill", and "time-step" of sandpipers.

Description

Adult Description

A medium-sized shorebird with a bill twice as long as its head.
Moderately long, pale legs.
Length Range: 27-30 cm (10.5-12 in)
Weight: 108 g (3.8 oz)
Size: Medium (9 - 16 in)
Color Primary: Brown
Underparts: Pale rust-brown with heavy brown spots and bars.
Upperparts: Brown-black feathers with pale brown edges.
Back Pattern: Striped or streaked
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Spotted or speckled, Solid

Sex Differences

Sexes Similar

Immature

Juvenal plumage with buffy 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 with orange pattern inside ("tiger-striped").

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

Habitat

Breeds in muskegs of taiga to timberline, and barely onto subarctic tundra.
Winters on coastal mud flats and brackish lagoons.
In migration prefers saltwater tidal flats, beaches, and salt marshes.
Found in freshwater mud flats and flooded agricultural fields.

Behavior

Male sings in flight on breeding grounds.Probes deeply into soft substances to the depth of the bill, sometimes submerging the head. Food is captured and swallowed under the mud, except for worms, which are pulled to the surface. Feeds in water up to the depth of the belly.

Food

Aquatic invertebrates. On breeding grounds eats fly larvae, other insects, snails, and some seeds.

Taxonomy

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Scolopacidae
Genus:	Limnodromus
Species:	Limnodromus griseus
Subspecies:	Limnodromus griseus caurinus
	Limnodromus griseus griseus
	Limnodromus griseus hendersoni

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.
Long-billed Dowitcher is extremely similar and difficult to distinguish in most plumages. Juvenile long-billed lacks the tiger-striping in the tertials, and has plain gray ones instead.

Bird Sound

Flight call a melodic "tu" repeated up to four times.

Eggs look like this

Photo taken from: ARCTOS Collaborative Collection Management Solution

	Sources Used To Construct This Page
	Jehl, J. R., Jr., J. Klima, and R. E. Harris. Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus). In The Birds of North America, No. 564 (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.