- Limnodromus semipalmatus
Identification
Black and white barred pattern on tail, dark legs and a long straight dark bill with a slightly bulbous tip.
Breeding: Brown upperparts, reddish underneath.
The winter plumage is largely grey.
Similar Species
Asian Dowitchers look very similar to the Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits which they tend to form flocks with. The dowitcher is slightly smaller and the bill is diagnostic, being perfectly straight with a slight bulb at the tip, as opposed to the tapering bill of the godwit (and the slightly curved bill of the bar-tailed godwit). The dowitcher bill also does not have any traces of pink, wheras godwit bills (especially bar-tailed godwit) often do.
Distribution
Breeds in Siberia and Manchuria; winters to southern Asia and northern Australia.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Grassy wetlands and coasts during migration and wintering.
Behaviour
Diet
These birds forage by probing in shallow water or on wet mud. The diet includes insects, molluscs, crustaceans and marine worms, and some plant material.
Breeding
It breeds in small colonies. Eggs are usually laid between late-May and early-June. The nest is a shallow depression on bare ground or in vegetation.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Wikipedia
- BirdLife International
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Asian Dowitcher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 20 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Asian_Dowitcher
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
