Photo: Mike Baird from Morro Bay, USA / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Shorebirds

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus

Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Victoria Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Manitoba Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Northwest Territories Birds of Ontario Birds of Prince Edward Island

By family

Sandpipers & Allies of Victoria Sandpipers & Allies of Alberta Sandpipers & Allies of British Columbia Sandpipers & Allies of Manitoba Sandpipers & Allies of New Brunswick Sandpipers & Allies of Newfoundland and Labrador Sandpipers & Allies of Nova Scotia Sandpipers & Allies of Northwest Territories Sandpipers & Allies of Ontario Sandpipers & Allies of Prince Edward Island

See what's near you right now

The Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 104 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
Genus Limnodromus
Species scolopaceus

Where it lives

Low Arctic to subarctic wet meadows of eastern Palearctic and western Nearctic: Lena River to eastern Chukotskiy Pen. and south to Anadyr Pen. (northeastern Siberia); St. Lawrence I. (Bering Sea; rare), western Alaska and northern NWT (north-central Canada)

Quick facts

Weight: 104 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Scolopacidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Near Threatened

Great Snipe

Gallinago media

Near Threatened

Latham’s Snipe

Gallinago hardwickii

Vulnerable

Wood Snipe

Gallinago nemoricola

Near Threatened

Javan Woodcock

Scolopax saturata

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Long-billed Dowitcher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Long-billed Dowitcher is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) is a member of the Scolopacidae family, within the order Charadriiformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers PAL, NA low Arctic to subarctic wet meadows of e Palearctic and w Nearctic: Lena River to e Chukotskiy Pen. and s to Anadyr Pen. (ne Siberia); St. Lawrence I. (Bering Sea; rare), w Alaska and n NWT (nc Canada).

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 104 g, with a wing length of about 14.6 cm and a tail of around 5.7 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1 million km².

Songs & calls

Long-billed Dowitcher — Call

Recorded by Don Profota Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Long-billed Dowitcher?

The Long-billed Dowitcher is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 104 g.

Where does the Long-billed Dowitcher live?

The Long-billed Dowitcher is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering PAL, NA low Arctic to subarctic wet meadows of e Palearctic and w Nearctic: Lena River to e Chukotskiy Pen. and s to Anadyr Pen. (ne Siberia); St. Lawrence I. (Bering Sea; rare), w Alaska and n NWT (nc Canada), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Long-billed Dowitcher belong to?

The Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Long-billed Dowitcher eat?

The Long-billed Dowitcher hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Long-billed Dowitcher migrate?

The Long-billed Dowitcher is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Long-billed Dowitcher endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Long-billed Dowitcher make?

1 real field recording of the Long-billed Dowitcher — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Long-billed Dowitcher's range?

The Long-billed Dowitcher has a mapped global range of about 1 million km².