Long-billed dowitcher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long-billed dowitcher |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
 |
|
| Breeding range (orange), migration range (yellow), nonbreeding range (blue) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
The long-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) is a medium-sized shorebird. It has a long bill and belongs to the sandpiper family, called Scolopacidae. When these birds are ready to breed, their heads and undersides turn a beautiful reddish-brown color. Their backs are darker with a mottled pattern. When they fly, you can see a large white patch on their upper rump.
Long-billed dowitchers find their food in freshwater areas. They use their long bills to probe underwater in a quick "sewing machine" motion. Males are known for their exciting mating display, where they chase females in the air. The name Limnodromus comes from Ancient Greek words meaning "marsh" and "racer." The word scolopaceus is New Latin for "snipe-like." The English name "dowitcher" comes from the Iroquois language.
This bird looks very much like the Short-billed dowitcher. For a long time, people thought they were the same species. It wasn't until 1950 that they were officially recognized as separate. The best way to tell them apart is by their calls, especially in winter. They also prefer different habitats. Short-billed dowitchers like saltwater and breed in places like Alaska and Canada. Long-billed dowitchers prefer freshwater and breed mainly in Alaska and Siberia. They fly as far south as Mexico for the winter.
Contents
About the Long-billed Dowitcher
The Long-billed dowitcher is a type of bird in the order Charadriiformes. This group includes other shorebirds, gulls, and alcids. It is part of the Scolopacidae family. Its genus, Limnodromus, includes only two other species: the Short-billed dowitcher and the Asian dowitcher.
Thomas Say first described the Long-billed dowitcher in 1823. For about 100 years, the Long-billed and Short-billed dowitchers were seen as two different species. Then, in 1927, the Long-billed dowitcher was considered a subspecies of the Short-billed dowitcher. This was because some birds looked like a mix of both. It wasn't until Frank Pitelka published his research in 1950 that they were again accepted as two distinct species. Scientists now believe these two species separated genetically over four million years ago.
What the Long-billed Dowitcher Looks Like
The Long-billed dowitcher is a medium-sized, sturdy sandpiper. Its bill is about twice as long as its head. In all its different feather patterns, it has a whitish stripe above its eye. It also has a dark stripe that goes from its beak past its eye. Its tail has black and white bars, with the black bars being wider. It has a large, clear white patch on its rump that goes up to the middle of its back.
.jpg)
Long-billed dowitchers wear their breeding feathers from about May to late August or early September. During this time, adults have a dark crown on their heads. Their neck, chest, and belly are a reddish-brown color. They have black bars on their chest and white bars on their sides when their feathers are new. As the feathers get older, the black bars might fade, making the chest look dark reddish. Their crown and back are a mix of brown, black, and buff markings. Their wings and upper back are mottled with black, buff, and white, making them look dark brown overall.
In winter, it is very hard to tell the Long-billed dowitcher apart from the Short-billed dowitcher. In their non-breeding feathers, adults are a dull gray. Their upper parts and chest are darker, while their belly is a paler white. The gray on their chest slowly gets lighter as it reaches their chin.
Young Long-billed dowitchers look similar to breeding adults but are paler. You can tell them apart from young Short-billed dowitchers by looking at their tertiary feathers. On young Long-billed dowitchers, these feathers are dark gray with thin buff edges. Their inner markings are so dull they almost seem to be missing. Young birds have chestnut-colored fringes on their upper parts instead of buffy brown. Their uniformly gray chest is slightly separated from their pale reddish-brown lower belly.
The bill of a Long-billed dowitcher is usually between 62 mm and 72 mm long. Males tend to have shorter bills because they are smaller. Their bills are usually very straight and black, becoming yellowish-olive green near the base. Their legs are also yellowish. Males and females look almost the same. However, females are generally heavier and have longer wings and bills.
Measurements:
- Length: About 11.4 inches (29 cm)
- Weight: 3.1 to 4.6 ounces (88-131 g)
- Wingspan: 18.5 to 19.3 inches (47-49 cm)
Where Long-billed Dowitchers Live and Travel
Breeding Areas
In North America, the Long-billed dowitcher mostly breeds in western and northern Alaska. They live along the coast from Hooper Bay to western Mackenzie. They also go south to the foothills of the Brooks Range. When nesting, they really like wet, grassy, or sedge freshwater meadows. Sometimes they are found in marshes. After nesting, they might move to lakes, ponds, or estuaries to find food. In eastern Siberia, they breed from the lower Yana River to the Chukotka Peninsula. They also breed in the Anadyr Lowlands. They seem to be spreading westward in Russia. They often nest along the Bering Sea and inland along rivers that flow into the East Arctic Sea of Siberia.
Non-breeding Areas
It has been hard to figure out where they spend the non-breeding season. This is because they look so similar to Short-billed dowitchers in winter. In places where both species are found, many birds are just called "Dowitchers." Along the Pacific coast, they spend winter in various spots from southwestern British Columbia to Baja California. They also move inland to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and south into Mexico. Along the Atlantic coast, they winter from North Carolina to Florida. They also move west along the Gulf Coast to Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. In winter, these birds can be found in many different habitats. These include mudflats, flooded wetlands, wet meadows, and fields. They also live in various lakes and marshes. They prefer water that is less than three inches deep. In general, Long-billed dowitchers seem to prefer fresh water over salt water. They also like muddy habitats more than sandy ones, compared to Short-billed dowitchers.
Migration Journeys
Long-billed dowitchers migrate later in the fall than Short-billed dowitchers. They also migrate earlier in the spring. The spring migration happens from February to May. Birds move up along the Pacific coast and inland. Long-billed dowitchers also travel through the Great Plains on the western side. A large number of them move through Alberta.
The fall migration usually happens from July to October. Adult Long-billed dowitchers start moving south in July. Young birds begin their journey from September to October. From their breeding grounds, they either migrate south along the Pacific Coast. They can also go across the Canadian Prairies and down the Great Basin. Some also travel through Ontario towards Florida.
Long-billed Dowitcher Behaviour
Diet and Foraging
Long-billed dowitchers find food by jabbing or probing in shallow water or wet mud. They use a special "sewing machine" motion. Often, their heads are underwater. They use touch sensors on the tip of their bill to find prey. When breeding, Long-billed dowitchers eat many chironomidae larvae and other insect larvae. They sometimes eat plant matter and seeds too. During migration and in their wintering areas, they eat a much wider variety of foods. Dowitchers eat everything from polychaetes (a type of worm) to insect larvae, crustaceans (like shrimp), and mollusks (like snails). They can also see at night, so they are known to find food at night during migration.
Vocalization
The Long-billed dowitcher's main call is a high, sharp keek. You hear it most often when they are flying, but also when they are on the ground. Sometimes, they repeat it as a fast double or triple note series. Their second, less common call is a tu sound, given 1 to 8 times. Their song is described as pee-witch-er. Their alarm call is a loud KEEK. The Long-billed dowitcher is a more vocal shorebird. They often make a keek or tu call when feeding in flocks. Short-billed dowitchers are usually quiet on the ground.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Male Long-billed dowitchers try to attract females by singing to them. Then, they compete with other males by chasing the female in flight. They show off their speed and agility in the air. After mating, they are known to sing while hovering 15 feet in the air above their territories. Once a pair mates, they form a bond. Long-billed dowitchers build their nests in wet areas with tall grasses. They choose the low spots between raised mounds and ridges. The nest is a simple dip in the ground, usually lined with grass and leaves.
Long-billed dowitchers lay four eggs per brood each year. They only have one brood per season. Rarely, they might lay three eggs. The eggs are oval to pear-shaped. Their color ranges from a buff olive to a greenish or bluish glaucous (a dull, grayish-blue color). The eggs also have many brown splotches near the wider end. The marks underneath are dark gray. Both parents help incubate the eggs, which takes about twenty days. Long-billed dowitcher chicks are precocial. This means they are covered in downy feathers and can feed themselves within a few hours of hatching. In Long-billed dowitchers, the male takes care of the chicks until they have fledged (learned to fly).
Images for kids
-
A Long-billed dowitcher searching for food.
See also
In Spanish: Agujeta escolopácea para niños
