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—observations
—countries
—peak records
Near ThreatenedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNear ThreatenedRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Midge larvae
- Aquatic beetles
- Small snails
Predators
- Peregrine Falcon
- Merlin
- Northern Harrier
ThreatsHabitat loss, wetland degradation, and climate change affecting Arctic breeding grounds
HabitatsFreshwater marshes, flooded agricultural fields, mudflats, and tundra breeding grounds
Life span8 to 12 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyScolopacidae
- SpeciesLimnodromus scolopaceus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for a medium-sized shorebird with a very long, straight bill, feeding in dense groups in shallow freshwater.
- Support conservation
- Observe quietly from a distance, especially during migration stopovers when birds need to feed undisturbed.
Responsible observation
- 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.
Image unavailableLook-alike 
Frequent Companion (c) Dan Pancamo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Karen Szafrajda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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