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Limnodromus griseus (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) Short-billed Dowitcher

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Higher taxa:  Life   Vertebrata   Aves   Scolopacidae   Limnodromus   Global map IDnature guides: Bird_species, Birds, Birds2 We parsed the following live from the Web into this page. Such content is managed by its original site and not cached on Discover Life. Please send feedback and corrections directly to the source. See original regarding copyrights and terms of use. Image, Image, Eric Dubois-Millot Breeding Bird Survey, USGS Seattle Audubon Society, species page Aquatic Bird Species, species page Seattle Audubon Society, species page Seattle Audubon Society, species page Seattle Audubon Society, species page Seattle Audubon Society, species page Seattle Audubon Society Seattle Audubon Society Seattle Audubon Society Seattle Audubon Society Seattle Audubon Society CalPhotos

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© Copyright Jo-Anna Ghadban 2009 Limnodromus griseus, 33, Calidris pusilla, 8, Short-billed dowitcher, Semipalmated sandpiper	© Copyright Jo-Anna Ghadban 2009 Limnodromus griseus, 2, Charadrius semipalmatus, Short-billed dowitcher, Semipalmated plover
© Copyright Jo-Anna Ghadban 2009 Limnodromus griseus, 20, Arenaria interpres, 2, Pluvialis squatarola, 2, Short-billed dowitcher, Ruddy turnstone, Black-bellied plover	© Copyright Jo-Anna Ghadban 2009 Limnodromus griseus, 70, Short-billed dowitcher
© Copyright Jo-Anna Ghadban 2009 Limnodromus griseus, 75, Short-billed dowitcher	© Copyright John Ascher, 2006-2007 Limnodromus griseus, Short-billed Dowitcher
© Larry Thompson, 2007 Limnodromus griseus, Short-billed Dowitcher	© Larry Thompson, 2007 Limnodromus griseus, Short-billed Dowitcher
© Larry Thompson, 2007 Limnodromus griseus, Short-billed Dowitcher	© Larry Thompson, 2007 Limnodromus griseus, Short-billed Dowitcher
© Larry Thompson, 2007 Limnodromus griseus, Short-billed Dowitcher

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Scientific source:       Integrated Taxonomic Information System

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ID Tips Life History CBC Map Taxonomy(ITIS) Glossary Back to List Short-billed dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Identification Tips: Length: 9.5 inches Medium-sized shorebird Long, straight bill Dull, yellowish legs White rump extends in wedge onto back Tail barred black and white Sexes similar Several different races Adult alternate: Reddish underparts Dark crown and eyeline with reddish supercilium Black bases to back feathers with reddish edges "hendersoni" race has reddish belly and black spots on sides of breast and flanks "griseus" race has white belly and densely spotted foreneck and barred flanks "caurinus" race has small white belly and densely spotted foreneck Adult basic: Pale gray head with white supercilium Pale gray breast with faint spotting Gray upperparts White belly and undertail coverts Juvenile: Back feathers dark with broad orange edges Tertials dark with orange stripes Head and breast with orange wash and scattered spots Similar species: The most distinctive feature of dowitchers is their long bill. Godwits also have extremely long bills but their bills are bicolored and they are larger. In flight, dowitchers can be picked out of mixed shorebird flocks by the white "v" extending up the back. The Long-billed Dowitcher is very similar to the Short-billed Dowitcher. In alternate plumage, the Long-billed Dowitcher has barred flanks and a reddish belly; some races of the Short-billed Dowitcher have barred flanks and some have reddish bellies but not on the same bird. Juvenile Short-billed Dowithchers have a more orange plumage than juvenile Long-billed Dowithcers. The best field mark for separating the juvenile plumages is the appearance of the tertials. In the Short-billed they have internal orange stripes while in the Long-billed they have a thin brown fringe with no internal markings. Winter plumage dowitchers are very similar. Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc. Patuxent Bird Population Studies Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter Adult alternate Adult basic Juvenile

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Short-billed Dowitcher, Limnodromus griseus Size: L: 30 cm. Wt: 100-120 g. Males and females are similar, with females only slightly larger. This species is seasonally dimorphic. Three subspecies exist, L. g. caurinus , L. g. hendersoni , and L. g. griseus . Only two of these, hendersoni and griseus may be seen on the Great Lakes; these two subspecies differ in breeding plumage, but not in winter plumage. Breeding Adult, L. g. hendersoni : upperparts dark brown, with dark buff feather-tips, giving scalloped appearance; primaries black; head buffy, with dark crown and eyeline, and dark streaking on neck and cheeks; breast, flanks and belly light reddish, with black speckling; tail buffy to whitish, with obvious horizontal, blackish barring; bill long, straight, black; legs dark olive Breeding Adult, L. g. griseus : upperparts similar to hendersoni , but darker; primaries black; head buffy, with crown, nape, eyeline, and streaking darker than in hendersoni ; breast light reddish, with blackish speckling; belly and flanks light buff to whitish, with black streaking and spotting; tail as in hendersoni , but paler; bill and legs as in hendersoni Winter Adult, both subspecies: upperparts grey-brown, with faint scalloping; primaries blackish; head, nape, and breast grey-brown, with white eyeline, and faint, dark speckling on breast; flanks white, with blackish barring; belly white; tail as in griseus breeding adult; bill and legs as in all breeding adults Juvenile, both subspecies:

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Following modified from Seattle Audubon Society, species page

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Following modified from Seattle Audubon Society, species page

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Following modified from Seattle Audubon Society, species page

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Following modified from Seattle Audubon Society

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Home Birds Ecoregions and Birding Sites Species of Special Concern Bird Details General Description Pictures Habitat Behavior Diet Nesting Migration Status Conservation Status When and Where Abundance Washington Range Map Family Members Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Gray-tailed Tattler Wandering Tattler Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Little Curlew Whimbrel Bristle-thighed Curlew Long-billed Curlew Hudsonian Godwit Bar-tailed Godwit Marbled Godwit Ruddy Turnstone Black Turnstone Surfbird Great Knot Red Knot Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Red-necked Stint Little Stint Temminck's Stint Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Rock Sandpiper Dunlin Curlew Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper Ruff Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Jack Snipe Wilson's Snipe Wilson's Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope Red Phalarope Quick Links Seattle Audubon Sound to Sage Breeding Bird Atlas On-line Nature Shop Photo courtesy of Dennis Paulson Click for WA Range Map Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Order: Charadriiformes Family: Scolopacidae Status: Common migrant on coast. Rare east. Listen: Source of Bird Audio General Description North American Range The Short-billed Dowitcher is very similar in appearance to the Long-billed Dowitcher. Both birds are large shorebirds. In breeding plumage, they are reddish underneath and mottled-brown above. In flight, they show a pale trailing edge on their wings and a distinctive white blaze up their backs, which easily identifies them as dowitchers. The distinction between the two species is not as simple. The female of both species has a longer bill than the male, and the bill of the female Short-billed is the same length of that of the male Long-billed, so bill length can be confusing. Short-billeds in breeding plumage usually have some spotting rather than barring on the sides of their breasts in front of the wings. Long-billeds are usually barred. The belly of the Long-billed is typically reddish all the way back, and the Short-billed often has some white on the belly. Juvenile Short-billeds are brighter than Long-billeds, with light edging and internal rufous markings on the tertial feathers. Long-billed juveniles are drabber and darker than Short-billeds. Non-breeding plumage is very difficult to distinguish. Range, habitat, and vocalizations should all be used to help distinguish between these two species. back to top Pictures [Enlarge] back to top Habitat During migration and winter, Short-billed Dowitchers are usually found in salt water on mud flats and tidal marshes. They can sometimes be found on fresh water at the muddy edges of ponds, but are less likely on fresh water than Long-billeds. They breed in open marshes and bogs in the boreal forest zone, usually inland, but close to fresh water. back to top Behavior Short-billed Dowitchers can often be found in very large, dense flocks. They feed by probing their long bills into mud or shallow water. Their bills are full of nerve endings, useful for sensing prey. They walk along slowly, lifting their heads up and down like a sewing machine. The call is a sharp, low, two-syllable whistle, easily distinguished from the high peeping of the Long-billed. back to top Diet On the breeding grounds, Short-billed Dowitchers eat insects and insect larvae. On mudflats, they also eat mollusks, crustaceans, marine worms, and other aquatic invertebrates. back to top Nesting Short-billed Dowitchers nest in northern Canada and Alaska. Nests are usually located on the ground near water. The nest is a shallow scrape in a clump of moss or grass, lined with twigs, leaves, or grass. Both parents incubate the four eggs for about 21 days. The young leave the nest within a day of hatching and find their own food. Both parents help tend the young, but the female may abandon the group early. The male probably stays with the young until they are close to fledging. back to top Migration Status Short-billed Dowitchers migrate medium to long distances. Many winter along the US, Central American, and South American coasts. The western race that passes through Washington stays close to the Pacific coast during its travels. back to top Conservation Status Until 1950, Short-billed and Long-bill Dowitchers were considered a single species. The Canadian Wildlife Service estimates the population of Short-billed Dowitchers at 320,000, spread across North America as three subspecies. The same estimate numbers the western subspecies at 150,000 birds. The Short-billed Dowitcher is listed as a species of concern on the Partners in Flight watch list and is reported to be declining. back to top When and Where to Find in Washington This common, coastal migrant may number in the tens of thousands in Grays Harbor during the spring migration peak. Willapa Bay is another major stopover point in spring. These two sites are the only spots where large numbers usually congregate in the spring, but smaller numbers may be scattered in other spots along Washington's outer coast as well. The spring influx of birds usually starts with a few birds at the end of March, and lasts into early May. They are common from early April to early May, peaking at the end of April. By mid-May, they have tapered off considerably and are rarely seen. By late June, they start becoming more common as the fall migration begins. The peak southerly movement of adults is from the end of June to mid-July, with numbers tapering off and blending into the August and early September peak migration juveniles. Numbers vary greatly, and in some years, fewer than a thousand birds are counted. The birds that migrate through Washington breed in Alaska and winter on the Pacific Coast south of Washington. Some first-year birds stay on the wintering grounds, or migrate only as far as Washington for the summer. Migrants in eastern Washington are never common. They can be seen occasionally in spring, and rarely in fall, at large wetlands in the Columbia Basin. While some birds summer at Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay, wintering birds are very unusual, and care should be taken not to misidentify Long-billed Dowitchers, which are much more common in Washington in winter. back to top Abundance C=Common; F=Fairly Common; U=Uncommon; R=Rare; I=Irregular Ecoregion Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Oceanic Pacific Northwest Coast C C R C C C U Puget Trough F F R F F U R North Cascades West Cascades East Cascades Okanogan Canadian Rockies Blue Mountains Columbia Plateau R R R back to top Washington Range Map back to top ©2005-2008 Seattle Audubon Society Credits

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Following modified from Seattle Audubon Society

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Following modified from Seattle Audubon Society

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Following modified from Seattle Audubon Society

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Following modified from CalPhotos

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CalPhotos     Photo Database   Number of matches : 13 Query: SELECT * FROM img WHERE ready=1 and taxon like "Limnodromus griseus%" and (lifeform != "specimen_tag" OR lifeform != "Animal") ORDER BY taxon Click on the thumbnail to see an enlargement Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 0102 0516 [detail] © 1999 Joseph Dougherty/ecology.org Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 0102 0517 [detail] © 1999 Joseph Dougherty/ecology.org Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 0102 0515 [detail] © 1999 Joseph Dougherty/ecology.org Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 0102 0519 [detail] © 1999 Joseph Dougherty/ecology.org Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 0804 0049 [detail] © 2004 Tom Greer tbphotos@comcast.net Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 0804 0050 [detail] © 2004 Tom Greer tbphotos@comcast.net Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 1004 0681 [detail] © 2004 Tom Greer tbphotos@comcast.net Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 1004 0682 [detail] © 2004 Tom Greer tbphotos@comcast.net Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 1004 0683 [detail] © 2004 Tom Greer tbphotos@comcast.net Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 1204 0565 [detail] © 2004 Tom Greer tbphotos@comcast.net Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 0206 0188 [detail] © 2006 BonTerra Consulting Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 0407 1973 [detail] © 2007 John Pelafigue Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher ID: 0000 0000 0407 2546 [detail] © 2007 Don Getty Using these photos: A variety of organizations and individuals have contributed photographs to CalPhotos. Please follow the usage guidelines provided with each image. Use and copyright information, as well as other details about the photo such as the date and the location, are available by clicking on the [detail] link under the thumbnail. See also: Using the Photos in CalPhotos .    Copyright © 1995-2009 UC Regents. All rights reserved. CalPhotos is a project of BSCIT     University of California, Berkeley