# 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. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Long-billed Dowitcher](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Limnodromus_scolopaceus_Mike_Baird_crop.jpg&width=800) Photo: Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Limnodromus_scolopaceus_Mike_Baird_crop.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Scolopacidae - **Genus:** Limnodromus ## 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 - **Super Sniffer Bill:** Long-billed Dowitcher has a super sensitive bill tip that helps them feel tiny creatures hidden deep in the mud. - **Speedy Seeker:** Long-billed Dowitcher can rapidly probe its long bill into the mud, like a sewing machine, to find food quickly. - **Migration Master:** 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 - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — Adult dowitchers are swift prey for this aerial hunter. - **Eaten by:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and be quiet so you don't scare them away. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Long-billed Dowitcher? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Long-billed Dowitcher? 26-30 cm ### What is Long-billed Dowitcher's wingspan? 46-52 cm ### How much does Long-billed Dowitcher weigh? 0.08-0.155 kg ### How long does Long-billed Dowitcher live? 10-15 years ### How fast can Long-billed Dowitcher move? 70 km/h ### What does Long-billed Dowitcher eat? They probe muddy shallows for a feast of small invertebrates hidden beneath the surface. ### Where is Long-billed Dowitcher usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Eden Landing Ecological Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eden-landing-ecological-reserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Franks Tract State Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/franks-tract-state-recreation-area) — California, US · State Park - [Presidio Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/presidio-park) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Crowley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crowley-historic-district) — Louisiana, US · Historic District - [Dundy County Courthouse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dundy-county-courthouse) — Nebraska, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Long-billed Dowitcher](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/long-billed-dowitcher) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Long-billed Dowitcher: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/long-billed-dowitcher)