Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus

The Long-billed Dowitcher is a shorebird with a long, straight bill. It loves to wade in shallow waters and uses its bill to find tasty insects and small crustaceans in the mud.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Long-billed Dowitcher has a stocky body with a very long, straight bill. During breeding, it shows brick-red underparts and barred flanks, while in winter it's a drab grey-brown. Its most distinguishing feature is its exceptionally long bill, which helps it probe deep for food.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderCharadriiformesFamilyScolopacidaeGenusLimnodromus

Long-billed Dowitcher

Interesting facts

Dowitchers often forage with their heads fully submerged under water.

Sometimes, hundreds of these birds gather in huge, noisy flocks!

Their bill tip has special touch sensors to find food in muddy water!

They migrate all the way from Arctic tundras to warm southern coasts.

Special abilities

Long-billed Dowitcher has a super sensitive bill tip that helps them feel tiny creatures hidden deep in the mud.

Long-billed Dowitcher can rapidly probe its long bill into the mud, like a sewing machine, to find food quickly.

Long-billed Dowitcher can fly thousands of kilometers between breeding and wintering grounds, navigating vast distances.

Measurements & details

Length: 26-30 cm
Wingspan: 46-52 cm
Weight: 0.08-0.155 kg
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Top Speed: 70 km/h
Clutch Size: 3-4
Incubation: 20-22 days
Migration Distance: 6000 km

Diet & Feeding

They probe muddy shallows for a feast of small invertebrates hidden beneath the surface.

Primary Foods

aquatic insects
insect larvae
marine worms
small crustaceans
small mollusks

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Adult dowitchers are swift prey for this aerial hunter.

eaten by

Coyote

Canis latrans

Ground predators sometimes target nesting adults or chicks.

eats

Bloodworm

Chironomus plumosus

Feeds on larvae of aquatic insects found in mud.

eats

Common Thread Worm

Capitella capitata

Probes for marine worms in soft sediments and mudflats.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Camouflaged

Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment.

Filter Feeder

Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.