Which dowitcher please. (2 Viewers)

[Sborg]

Photo taken 23 August 2024 at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware, US.

I'm leaning towards Long-billed Dowitcher due to the hunched back but I'm not sure how definitive that is.

 

[Sborg]

 

[Sborg]

Anybody?

 

[THE_FERN]

I'd go with long-billed due to bill length, forehead angle

 

[Sborg]

I'd go with long-billed due to bill length, forehead angle

Thank you for the reply. What is the difference in forehead angle between the species?

 

[THE_FERN]

Thank you for the reply. What is the difference in forehead angle between the species?

Some claim it's not a reliable character, but long-billed has a flatter angle, short-billed steep. Flat here

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

Some claim it's not a reliable character, but long-billed has a flatter angle, short-billed steep. Flat here

Isn't the tail pattern also good for Long-billed here ? It think Short-billed would have thinner dark bars on the tail.

 

[THE_FERN]

Isn't the tail pattern also good for Long-billed here ? It think Short-billed would have thinner dark bars on the tail.

Probably but again I heard that that "old" criterion is unreliable. Anyway I think bulk of evidence favours long-billed

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

Probably but again I heard that that "old" criterion is unreliable. Anyway I think bulk of evidence favours long-billed

"I heard that that "old" criterion is unreliable."

I've seen hundreds of both in Baja California in octobre 2021, I admit it doesn't work 100%, but still a very useful feature IMO. Anyway, we agree on long-billed.

 

[Sborg]

Some claim it's not a reliable character, but long-billed has a flatter angle, short-billed steep. Flat here

Bill length is not a reliable character either.

 

[THE_FERN]

Bill length is not a reliable character either.

I think like the others it's OK at the extremes. This one seems pretty extreme (ly long) to me.

 

[Sborg]

I think like the others it's OK at the extremes. This one seems pretty extreme (ly long) to me.

Thank you.