May 15 Email:
Hi Ric, I just lost over an hour of my life trying to determine if this is a Long- or Short-billed Dowitcher that I saw wading at the boat launch on Harbor Island this morning. I decided on Short-billed, but I am willing to be corrected by anyone that can help. Thanks, - Brad Heath
I can't do dowitchers. But you've already narrowed it from 350-400 Michigan species down to two. Let's see if someone else can cut it to one. - Ric
3 comments:
I vote for Long-billed based on a few structural items.
1. The bill is very straight without any sort of a kink near the tip. Some people say SBDO has a kink at the end of the bill as though it got caught in a door.
2. Chest is sticking out. I've read that LBDO looks like it has a grapefruit in its chest, and this bird has that shape.
3. Though your photo isn't the best angle, it appears that the transition from the back to the tail is somewhat curved (indented). That suggests LBDO as well.
But I've stared at dowitcher flocks here in California for hours and left scratching my head.
I feel it is a Short-billed. There are spots on the chest. The Long-billed would have dashes. The posture in this photo makes the body shape unclear to me. While feeding a Long-billed looks very hunchbacked. Without it being side by side with another Dowitcher feeding it is very hard to distinguish. Shorebirds are tough, Dowitchers are next to impossible.
I want to add that there are good comparisons in The Shorebird Guide by O'Brien, Crossley, and Karlson. They show the Long-billed having brighter white feather tips. This bird has feathers thinly lined in white like a Short-billed. Great photo. Thanks for sharing it.
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