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Posted by John Boyd on 05:30:55 03/10/11
In Reply to: Re: Dowitcher ID posted by Hans
If they do not call, dowitchers are difficult to impossible to identify in non-breeding plumage. Your best chance is a good look at the tail, which this photo provides. The wide dark bands (compare the narrow white bands) in the tail itself (not coverts) are a strong indication this is a Long-billed Dowitcher. Although this is the best field mark, it is not 100% conclusive.
The breast pattern is also consistent with Long-billed (this was more evident on one of the birds in the other photo).
As noted in Harrison et al., the flank chevrons are not informative. Although loral angle is sometimes touted as a field mark, the data presented in the 2006 Birding article on dowitchers made clear that many birds are in the overlap zone (read the graph, not the text). It is only useful in extreme cases and is almost incapable of identifying a Long-billed (Short-billed yes, Long-billed no).
The downward dip at the end of the bill is more often seen in Short-billed, but both types sometimes show this.
In south Florida, coastal dowitchers are almost invariably Short-billed (over 1000 to 1). Inland dowitchers are generally Long-billed, but not always. The experience at Cutler is that the dowitchers are usually Long-billed, but Short-billed also occurs there occasionally.
Conclusion: probably Long-billed.
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