Dowitcher
Encyclopedia
The three dowitchers are medium-sized long-billed wading
bird
s. They resemble godwit
s in body and bill shape, and the reddish underparts in summer, but are much shorter legged, more like snipe
to which they are also somewhat closer related (Thomas et al., 2004). All three are strongly migratory
.
The two North America
n species are difficult to separate in most plumages, and were considered a single species for many years. The Asia
n bird is rare and not well known.
Species are:
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. They resemble godwit
Godwit
The godwits are a group of large, long-billed, long-legged and strongly migratory wading birds of the genus Limosa. They form large flocks on coasts and estuaries in winter....
s in body and bill shape, and the reddish underparts in summer, but are much shorter legged, more like snipe
Snipe
A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...
to which they are also somewhat closer related (Thomas et al., 2004). All three are strongly migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
.
The two North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n species are difficult to separate in most plumages, and were considered a single species for many years. The Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n bird is rare and not well known.
Species are:
- Family: Scolopacidae (part)
- Short-billed DowitcherShort-billed DowitcherThe Short-billed Dowitcher like its congener the Long-billed Dowitcher, is a medium-sized, stocky, long-billed shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It is an inhabitant of North America, Middle America, and northern South America. It is strongly migratory; it completely vacates in breeding areas...
, Limnodromus griseus - Long-billed DowitcherLong-billed DowitcherThe Long-billed Dowitcher, Limnodromus scolopaceus, is a medium-sized shorebird.Adults have yellowish legs and a long straight dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and reddish underneath with spotted throat and breast, bars on flanks. The tail has a black and white barred pattern...
, Limnodromus scolopaceus - Asiatic DowitcherAsiatic DowitcherThe Asiatic Dowitcher, Limnodromus semipalmatus, is a rare medium-large wader.Adults have dark legs and a long straight dark bill, somewhat shorter than that of the Long-billed Dowitcher. The body is brown on top and reddish underneath in breeding plumage. The tail has a black and white barred...
, Limnodromus semipalmatus
- Short-billed Dowitcher