Limnodromus scolopaceus
Mudflats and marshes in the Rockies occasionally host these enthusiastic shorebirds during their spring and fall migrations. Long-billed Dowitchers can be easily identified: they forage in tight flocks, each probing repeatedly into mudflats in motions similar to a sewing machine. Long-billed Dowitchers often migrate with the closely related, but slightly less common, Short-billed Dowitcher, and the two are almost impossible to tell apart when they are silent. Mixed flocks of shorebirds demonstrate a variety of foraging styles. Some species probe deeply, while others pick at the water's surface or glean the shorelines. It is thought that large numbers of shorebirds can coexist because their different foraging styles reduce competition for the food sources. |
I.D.: Sexes similar: very long, straight, dark bill (longer in the female); very stocky body; short neck. Breeding: reddish underparts; lightly barred flanks; dark, mottled upperparts; dark eye line; light eyebrow; long, dark yellow legs; white lower back. Immature: gray overall; white belly. Size: L 11-121/2 in. (28-32 cm). Range: uncommon to common fall migrant and rare spring migrant throughout the Rockies. Habitat: along lakeshores, shallow marshes and mudflats in the montane and the subalpine. Nesting: on the arctic tundra; often near water; in a shallow, elevated scrape lined with grass and moss; pair incubates the eggs for 21 days. Feeding: probes in shallow water and on mudflats with a quickly repeated up-down motion of bill; frequently plunges its head below the water; eats larval flies, worms and other soft-bodied invertebrates. Voice: alarm call is a single, loud keek. Similar Species: Short-billed Dowitcher: call is tu; faint barring on the flanks; bill is slightly shorter. Common Snipe: heavily streaked upperparts; longer legs; different foraging techniques; lacks the white wedge on the lower back. |
