Short-billed Dowitcher

[Dave B Smith]

Here's one more photo for confirmation. I'm pretty sure that these are Short-billed Dowitchers. It is in a Coastal mud flat, in Campeche, Mexico. Can anyone confirm?

Thanks,

[Larry Lade]

Hi Dave,

If the photo was taken in October, these are more likely to be Long-billed Dowitchers as they migrate later than the short-billed variety. According to National Geographic Field Guide the Short-billed Dowitchers would be more common in August and September.

Also a nice looking Black-necked Stilt.

Larry

[Tim Allwood]

Campeche is wintering grounds for SB Dow mainly. LB Dow only just occur in the state and have very few records. SB do arrive earlier and were present in Yucutan by mid August 2003 in good numbers. Both species winter though.....but on balance of known distribution etc prob. SB

[Dave B Smith]

Larry,
Thanks for the response. Migration seems to be a pretty good way to separate the species, but as Tim points out, they actually over winter here. I saw my first Dowitchers here in Sept. this year but couldn't really say that these are from that same group. Yes the photo was taken in Oct. I was working on the GGBC II when I came across a great mix of Black-necked Stilts, Avocets, Dowitchers, etc. so I went back home and grabbed my camera and scope and returned!

Tim,
Thanks for the details on the migration and previous sighting records.

[Dave B Smith]

Another wrinkle...
I just got home and checked distribution of the Long-billed Dowitcher in my 'Guide to Birds of Mexico' by S. Howell and he shows SW Campeche as the limit of their range but as Common to Frequent in this range.

The city I'm in is Cd del Carmen and is in SW Campeche so both birds actually winter here.

Any other clues as to identity?

Thanks,

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Dave,

I fear these will have to remain Dowitcher (sp.). They're not identifiable from the photo, unfortunately.

Short-billed tend to winter on coastal mudflats, while Long-billed tend to winter on freshwater marshes. But there's a fair degree of overlap in habitat use, it is far from definitive.

So yours are perhaps statistically more likely to be Short-billed, but that's about all that can be said. Long-billed cartainly can't be ruled out.

Michael

[Charles Harper]

Paler buff edging on the wing coverts indicate juvenile caurinus Short-bills, I think, at least for the 2 rightmost birds (the ones with the longest-seeming bills!)

[Dave B Smith]

Thanks to all. Next time I see a Dowitcher, I'll spend more time watching how it feeds and listening for its call.