Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 11.4 in
29 cm - Weight
- 3.2–4.6 oz
90–131 g
Other Names
- Bécassin à long bec (French)
- Costurero pico largo (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Most Siberian breeding Long-billed Dowitchers likely migrate to the Americas during the winter.
- Although both sexes share incubation of the eggs, only the male takes care of the young once they hatch.
Habitat
Marsh
Food
Insects
Aquatic invertebrates and insects.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Egg Description
- Light olive-greenish or bluish with brown spotting, denser at the large end.
- Condition at Hatching
- Downy chicks able to walk immediately, leave nest when all are hatched. Not fed by parents.
Nest Description
A deep depression in grass or moss, lined with grasses and small leaves. Often damp at bottom.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Probing
Probes deeply into soft substances to the depth of the bill, sometimes submerging the head. Short jabbing and probing in distinctive "sewing machine" motion.
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations seem to be stable or increasing.
Credits
- Takekawa, J. Y., and N. Warnock. 2000. Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus). In The Birds of North America, No. 493 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.