Oldnintheway
Well-known member
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Dowitcher ID Please (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Oldnintheway
- Start date
arcadillor
Well-known member
long billed dowitcher
BobbitWorm45
Well-known member
Hi, could you give some detail on what are the distinguishing features you are applying making this a Long-billed? Thanks
stuartelsom
Well-known member
Hi Bobbitworm,
I can give you reasons why I think it is actually a short-billed:
In summer plumage, Long-billed are normally much darker uniform red; this is more orange toned.
Patterning on coverts and tertials has broad pale stripes and irregular barred patterning. On Long-billed these are normally plain or lacking the contrast of SBD.
Barring extends past the legs and under the belly. on Long-billed, the belly is normally unmarked.
The eye is towards the top of the head, so appearing above the line of the bill.
I only come across Dowitchers on an annual basis when leading tours in US and Central America, but, and I'm happy to be corrected by my learned friends in North America, I think this is Short-billed.
Stu
I can give you reasons why I think it is actually a short-billed:
In summer plumage, Long-billed are normally much darker uniform red; this is more orange toned.
Patterning on coverts and tertials has broad pale stripes and irregular barred patterning. On Long-billed these are normally plain or lacking the contrast of SBD.
Barring extends past the legs and under the belly. on Long-billed, the belly is normally unmarked.
The eye is towards the top of the head, so appearing above the line of the bill.
I only come across Dowitchers on an annual basis when leading tours in US and Central America, but, and I'm happy to be corrected by my learned friends in North America, I think this is Short-billed.
Stu
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Oldnintheway
Well-known member
Thanks for your replies all!
arcadillor
Well-known member
I still think it is long billed dowitcher
short billed dowitcher and long billed dowitcher has different coverts pattern
dark center of short is more like triangle，pale tips V shaped
and in long billed is Pentagon like，pale tips semicircle like
long billed has barred or chevroned marks on flank，and in short billed is dots
Tero
Retired
Not a familiar subspecies to me, but the shape is short billed. Long billed looks like there is a baseball inside it. With the neck stretched out like that, long billed would have a slight bulge in the upper chest and would like it's preventing tipping over forward. See the black silhouettes here:
https://www.surfbirds.com/ID Articles/dowitchers1005/dowitchers.html
https://www.surfbirds.com/ID Articles/dowitchers1005/dowitchers.html
Last edited:
Oldnintheway
Well-known member
I spent a good while at that site before posting. The silhouettes would be much better compared if they were in a similar position. I thought the indented lower back better matched the long-billed. The slightly decurved bill is what got me re-thinking the ID. These differences are so subtle!