Short-billed Dowitcher ?? February 29, 2004 Hawaii (1 Viewer)

[Shorebirdidiot]

The bird in the foreground is slightly smaller than its companion. The bill is slightly shorter. The posture when feeding is not as football-ish. The loral angle is greater. The tail of this bird (on the left in the flight shot) is paler. Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Butty]

Two dowitchers I can't tell apart.

 

[AveryBartels]

It would appear that there could be both here. In the flight shot, what is visible of the right-hand bird's lesser underwing coverts along the leading edge of the wing are strongly barred/scalloped. It would be great to see an in-flight image that shows the lesser coverts a little closer in to the body to confirm this though. Otherwise, tail barring looks to me to be at least indicative of Short-billed, as does the head shape/loral angle of the left-hand bird in the 3rd image.

More in-flight photos would be nice to clinch it though.

 

[Shorebirdidiot]

Thanks for replying. Here are additional flight photos. I hope they help.

 

[rkj]

I think you have one of each species. In the first photo of the second series, the bird on the right has clean white feathers on the leading edge of the wing next to the body, which I understand to be indicative of Long-billed Dowitcher. The bird on the left I am less certain about, but it does have some dark markings in the same area and is more heavily marked on the axillaries, both of which are better for Short-billed Dowitcher.

 

[Indobirder]

I was thinking both are Long-billed based on the amount of white on the underwing coverts. But I'm seeing that Short-billed can be a bit whiter there too...

For example, the bird on the left has more white than the one on the right. I was expecting them all to be as patterned as the one on the right.

ML608630595 - Short-billed Dowitcher - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML608630595; © Steven Mlodinow; Imperial, California, United States

macaulaylibrary.org

So... maybe? I think the picture is probably good enough, so hopefully more will voice their opinions. I have very little experience with either.

 

[AveryBartels]

I'm more on the fence now with these new images. While the white on the underwing lesser coverts is definitely more reduced in the bird that is a candidate for Short-billed, those closest to the body are seemingly a nice clean white and there are ample images on eBird showing Long-bills with a comparable pattern.

For example, the bird on the left has more white than the one on the right. I was expecting them all to be as patterned as the one on the right.

I also stumbled across this image while looking through eBird and it gave me pause. However, I think it is worth noting that the lighting is quite bright and is blowing out the whiter areas on the bird's plumage in several areas. If you reduce the brightness it seems as if there is a bit of patterning on even the whitest part of the underwing lesser coverts, something that does not appear to be the case on the bird in question on this thread.

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

Surely both Long-billed's, merely illustrating the variability that exists in underwing pattern within the species, the largely unmarked white patch at basal part of the lesser underwing coverts the key. The trailing bird does exhibit a few feint dark marks in the patch but crucially, they are not V-shaped, so seemingly within range of variability of Long-billed. Also note pale extension along inner row of lesser coverts towards carpal. Underwing pattern in dowitchers — subalpinebirding

Grahame