Species · GBIF taxon 2481670
Long-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus scolopaceusAlso known as Greater Grayback, Red-breasted Snipe
Long-billed dowitchers are stocky shorebirds famous for their rapid, vertical probing motion that resembles a sewing machine needle. During the breeding season, they display rich cinnamon-rufous underparts and intricate gold-and-black mottling on their backs, transitioning to a drab grey in winter. They gather in dense, energetic flocks in shallow freshwater wetlands, mudflats, and flooded fields where they forage alongside other waders.
ShorebirdMigratoryWetland
1 / 7- diet
- Aquatic insects, insect larvae, mollusks, marine worms, and plant seeds
- family
- Scolopacidae
- threats
- Habitat loss, wetland degradation, and climate change affecting Arctic breeding grounds
- life Span
- 8 to 12 years
NT
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Classified as Near Threatened due to habitat loss in wintering wetlands and climate impacts on Arctic nesting sites.
Observe quietly from a distance, especially during migration stopovers when birds need to feed undisturbed.- Listen for calls: Distinguish them from short-billed dowitchers by their sharp, high-pitched keek call.
- Watch the feeding style: Look for the rapid, vertical sewing machine probing motion in shallow water.
- Keep your distance: Use binoculars or a spotting scope to avoid flushing feeding flocks from mudflats.