Long-billed Dowitchers

The Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) is a medium-sized shorebird with similar characteristics to a snipe. It is easily recognized by its long, straight bill, which it uses to probe deeply into mud in search of food. In breeding plumage, adults display rich reddish underparts, mottled brown upperparts, and a barred flanks. Non-breeding birds are duller, with grayish plumage overall. Juveniles resemble non-breeding adults but show a more scaly pattern on their back. The BTO code for the Long-billed Dowitcher is LD or LBDO.

Long-billed Dowitchers breed from May to July in tundra wetlands, where they build well-concealed nests on the ground, often hidden in vegetation. The nest is a shallow depression lined with grass, moss, and leaves. Clutches usually consist of 4 pale greenish or buff eggs with dark spots. Both parents incubate the eggs for 20-21 days, and after hatching, the downy chicks leave the nest almost immediately. While both parents initially tend the chicks, the female often departs first, leaving the male to care for them until they become independent. Long-billed Dowitchers breed in wet tundra and boreal marshes in northern Canada and Alaska. During migration, they pass through a variety of wetland habitats, including freshwater marshes, mudflats, estuaries, and flooded fields. In winter, they are found along coastal mudflats, lagoons, and inland wetlands from the southern United States through Central America. They are annual visitors to the UK in September/October often however this one turned up in Southern England in January and is still here now in February.

These birds are primarily carnivorous, feeding on invertebrates such as aquatic insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and worms. They use their long bills in a characteristic "sewing machine" motion to probe the mud for prey. They may also consume small amounts of plant material. The global population of Long-billed Dowitchers is estimated to be 500,000 to 1,000,000 individuals. While the species is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, it faces ongoing threats, particularly from habitat loss and climate change, which are affecting its breeding and wintering grounds.

Key threats to Long-billed Dowitchers include;

wetland degradation due to drainage, agriculture, and development, climate change, which is altering Arctic and sub-Arctic breeding habitats and pollution from pesticides and industrial runoff affecting wetland food sources. Conservation efforts focus on protecting wetlands through international agreements such as the Ramsar Convention. Efforts include; restoring and preserving wetland habitats, monitoring populations and migration patterns, reducing pollution and disturbance in key stopover sites and public awareness and sustainable wetland management are crucial for ensuring the Long-billed Dowitcher’s continued survival. By protecting wetland ecosystems, conservationists also help other shorebird species that depend on these critical habitats.