Long-billed dowitcher

Long-billed dowitcher
Non-breeding adult
Breeding adult
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Limnodromus
Species:
L. scolopaceus
Binomial name
Limnodromus scolopaceus
(Say, 1822)
Breeding range (orange), migration range (yellow), nonbreeding range (blue)
Synonyms
  • Limosa scolopacea Say, 1823

The long-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) is a medium-sized shorebird with a relatively long bill belonging to the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae. In breeding plumage, adults are characterized by a beautiful rufous head and underparts with a darker mottled back and a large white upper rump only seen in flight.[2][3][4] They feed in various freshwater habitats with their bill underwater in a "sewing machine" motion and are known to have an exciting mating display where males chase females in flight.[2] The genus, Limnodromus is Ancient Greek from limne, "marsh" and dromos, "racer". The specific scolopaceus is Neo-Latin for "snipe-like", from Latin scolopax, scolopacis, a snipe or woodcock.[5] The English name is from Iroquois and was first recorded in 1841.[6]

The long-billed dowitcher is nearly identical in appearance to the short-billed dowitcher and was only recognized as a separate species in 1950 by Pitelka.[2] Between the two, the best distinguishing field mark is their flight call, especially in winter where both species are even more difficult to tell apart.[4] However, the two species differ ecologically in a few ways, starting with habitat and breeding location. Short-billeds prefer salt-water and breed primarily in southern Alaska and Yukon, as well as central Canada and the Maritime provinces, while long-billeds generally prefer freshwater and breed mainly from western and northern Alaska to eastern Siberia before migrating as far south as Mexico for the winter.[2]

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2024). "Limnodromus scolopaceus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024: e.T22693348A256610578. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T22693348A256610578.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Takekawa, John Y.; Warnock, Nils D. (2020-03-04). Poole, Alan F; Gill, Frank B (eds.). "Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.lobdow.01.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Sibley, David Allen (2000). The Sibley Guide to Birds. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. p. 190. ISBN 0-679-45122-6.
  5. ^ Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 227, 351. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  6. ^ "Dowitcher". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)