ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher

Photo by Richard Day/Daybreak Imagery

This species is very similar to the short-billed dowitcher, but it is not nearly as frequently viewed. Most flocks are seen in late fall, in October, and are composed of juveniles. This is a very typical chronology of Arctic-nesting shorebirds, where adults leave the breeding grounds first, and pass through Ohio several weeks before the juveniles.

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus

At-a-Glance

• Incubation: 20-21 days

• Clutch Size: 4 eggs

• Typical Foods: aquatic invertebrates and some seeds

Description
The short and long-billed dowitchers look similar in breeding and juvenile plumages, and nearly identical in winter plumage.

Habitat and Habits
This species prefers mudflats, shallow marshes and flooded fields. It normally forages in belly-deep water. Vocalizations can help in the identification of short and long-billed dowitchers. The short-billed gives a mellow tu-tu-tu; the long-billed gives a sharp, thin keek, sometimes doubled or trebled.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
Nests are made of grass and moss and are placed on the ground.