Asian Dowitcher
Limnodromus semipalmatus
Very uncommon large, long-billed shorebird, nearly the size of a godwit, found in coastal mudflats and open marshes. Breeding adult extensively brick-red below, dark and strongly marked with brick-red tones above. Nonbreeding adult grayish brown with a duller, browner bill. Juvenile dark above, with broad gold feather edges, pale below, washed with warm buff or gold tones and with neat dark stipples and chevron-shaped marks. Blackish legs distinguish Asian from Long-billed Dowitcher, which has yellowish-green legs. Blackish or brownish bill of adult Asian differs from bicolored bill of godwits; note that bill of juvenile Asian has pale base.
Identification
Adults have dark legs and a long straight dark bill, somewhat shorter than that of the long-billed dowitcher. The body is brown on top and reddish underneath in breeding plumage. The tail has a black and white barred pattern. The winter plumage is largely grey.<p>Their breeding habitat is grassy wetlands in inland Siberia and Manchuria. They migrate to southeast Asia as far south as northern Australia, although both the breeding and wintering areas are poorly known. This bird is always found on coasts during migration and wintering.<p>These birds forage by probing in shallow water or on wet mud. They mainly eat insects, mollusks, crustaceans and marine worms, but also eat some plant material.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Limnodromus semipalmatus
- Authority
- (Blyth, 1848)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Limnodromus
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- PAL : inland wetlands of temperate c, e Palearctic: sw Siberia and e Kazakhstan, (probably) n Mongolia to Amurland (se Siberia) and ne China
- Non-breeding range
- OR, AU : coastal s Thailand, Malay Pen., Indonesian Arch., n Australia and Philippines (rare)
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rufous-tailed Antthrush
Chamaeza ruficauda
Plump antthrush with a short cocked-tail and long legs. Found in humid montane forests usually occurring at higher elevations than similar antthrushes. Walks quietly on the ground and is very difficult to see. Note rufous crown, olive-brown back, a heavily black streaked belly, and a white throat and eyebrow. Nearly identical in plumage to Such's Antthrush, but Rufous-tailed Antthrushes sing a short and fast ascending trill lasting only 3-4 seconds.
Shiny Cowbird
Molothrus bonariensis
Common in Caribbean and South America. Found in semiopen and open grassy areas, often associated with livestock. Feeds mainly on the ground, but perches readily in bushes and trees. Male is glossy blue-black overall (often looks simply black). Female is plain grayish-brown overall. Bill shape is the key feature: blackish bill is more slender and pointed than bills of Brown-headed and Bronzed cowbirds. Also note similar but larger Melodious Blackbird, which has longer bill and often flicks its tail.
White-capped Dipper
Cinclus leucocephalus
The only dipper in its range, and thus unlikely to be confused. Chunky and boldly patterned in blackish and white, with obvious white crown and underparts (somewhat variable in different parts of range). Sexes similar. A denizen of fast-moving streams and rivers with plenty of rocks to perch on. Fairly widely distributed in the Andes from Venezuela to Bolivia; can be found from 700–3,500 m. Usually seen singly or in pairs, quite conspicuous as they perch on boulders or fly along the river. Gives a piercing “dzeet!” call, especially in flight.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.