ML480949731
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age and sex
- Adult, Unknown sex - 1
- Behaviors
- Foraging or eating
Media notes
blunt tipped bill with subtle downward kink near tip
Observation details
1) According to the description in Garrigues (Stiles and Skutch state similar) Short-billed ¨is best differentiated by evenly barred tail (i.e., black and white bars of equal width)¨ while ¨[Long-billed] has black tail with narrow white barring¨. First photo attached shows a white tail with narrow black bars that is a closer fit with the description of the tail of Short-billed. However, the Shore-bird Guide states (for Long-billed; p. 206) ¨tail barring variable but typically even¨, with a similar comment for Short-billed (p. 199), so although this characteristic provides some support for an ID of this bird as Short-billed it does not seem to be a reliable field mark. 2) From the Shorebird Guide. Short-billed ¨…bill relatively broad based and blunt tipped with subtle downward kink near tip¨. Long-billed ¨relatively thin, fine-tipped bill is gently arched through outer half (not kinked in one spot like Short-billed)¨. Photos 2 through 5 show a kink near the tip similar to that shown in photos in the Shorebird Guide; i.e., supports the ID as Short-billed. 3) Shorebird Guide. Short-billed is ¨….usually Slimmer and flatter backed than long billed in relaxed feeding pose¨. Subjective but when attached photos (and others we have of this bird) were compared with photos in that book the conclusion was ¨looks more like Short-billed¨. 4) From the Sibley Guide to Birds ¨[Long-billed] migrates somewhat later in fall than Short-billed…¨. Stiles and Skutch concur; they state that Short-billed arrives in Costa Rica from early August while Long-billed arrives from late October. This suggests that a sighting of a Dowitcher on 2 September is more likely to be Short-billed. 5) Also from the Sibley Guide to Birds ¨In late summer adult Dowitchers of both species have worn breeding plumage…….Long-billed Dowitcher has short dark bars on the sides of the breast, Short-billed Dowitcher has dark spots on the sides of the breast……¨ This bird has faint colour on the breast (last photo), which we assume is residual from breeding plumage, and hence conclude that it is an adult. It has spots on the sides of the breast and we can´t see any bars below so again support for an ID as Short-billed.
Additional species
Technical information
- Model
- Canon EOS 7D Mark II
- Lens
- EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
- ISO
- 500
- Focal length
- 400 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire
- f-stop
- f/8.0
- Shutter speed
- 1/800 sec
- Dimensions
- 1877 pixels x 1250 pixels
- Original file size
- 553.61 KB