Long-billed Dowitcher

Photo © 1996, Dick Hoffman April 1996 at Lake Avalon southeastern New Mexico

The Long-billed Dowitcher is a snipe-like bird widespread in many habitats where it feeds in wet places, probing with its long bill. It breeds on the tundra in northwest Alaska, in Canada in northern Yukon and northwest MacKenzie and in southeast Siberia, migrates inland across North America, mostly in the west, but with a regular fall occurrence in the east and winters from the southern U. S. throughout Mexico and somewhat into Central America. There are records of accidentals all over Europe and elsewhere. Split from the Short-billed Dowitcher (L. griseus) in the 1950's, it can be difficult to separate from that species. Excellent references on its identification are Claudia Wilds' account in A Field Guide to Advanced Birding (Kenn Kaufman, 1990, Houghton Mifflin Co. in the Peterson field guide series) and Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest (Dennis Paulson, 1993, UBC Press). Juveniles are easily separated on the basis of tertial feather patterns, a good reason to become familiar with this set of shorebird feathers. Usually Long-billed Dowitcher has more dark banding in the tail which gives the white area up the center of the back more contrast with the tail, but best is the single "keek" call for positive identification. Despite their names, bill length is of little help for field identification.

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