Short-billed Dowitcher

Overview

The short-billed dowitcher is a medium-sized, stocky, long-billed shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It is a strongly migratory species inhabiting North and South America, completely vacating its breeding areas during the snow-bound months. It was considered one species with the long-billed dowitcher until 1950, but they remain very difficult to distinguish visually in the field.

Identification

• Adults have dark brown upperparts, reddish underparts, a black-and-white barred tail, and yellowish legs.
• Subspecies vary slightly: L. g. griseus has a white belly and barred flanks, L. g. hendersoni has a reddish belly and spotted flanks, and L. g. caurinus has a white belly, heavily barred flanks, and a densely spotted breast.
• Winter plumage is largely grey.
• The call is more mellow than that of the long-billed dowitcher, which is a useful aid for identification.

Habitat

This species inhabits a variety of environments, from tundra and bogs in the north to ponds, mudflats, and tidal marshes in the south. It breeds in northern North America, including parts of Alaska, Canada, and the northern United States, and migrates to the southern United States, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It is more likely to be seen near ocean coasts during migration than its congener, the long-billed dowitcher.

Diet

These birds forage by rapidly probing their bills into shallow water or wet mud in a sewing machine fashion. They mainly eat insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and marine worms, but also consume some plant material.

Did you know?

The names of American dowitchers are misleading, as there is much overlap in their bill lengths, and only a small percentage can be identified by this character alone.