Long-billed Dowitcher ID - What To Look For

Every shorebird season, birders are faced with the dilemma of separating Short-billed (SBDO) from Long-billed Dowitchers (LBDO). This post is not intended to list all of the nuances of how to tell them apart but I will share some of my own empirical observations.

Short-billed and Long-billed Dowitchers - Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge NYC

Let's start with the jiss (jizz). A classic Long-billed Dowitcher, is not that hard to pick out especially if you have one of those nicely fed female types. When I see an LBDO that stands out, I tend to think of an inflated football (American) or think Egg shape. Picture the higher part of the football as the back of the LBDO with tapered ends. In comparison to a Short-billed Dowitcher, one could easily spot this difference as the back of an SBDO is flatter. This physical feature also applies to the lower body as the undercarriage of a SBDO is straighter than that of a LBDO.

Juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher - Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge NYC

This shape feature should be used cautiously; especially, since this feature can be a bit more difficult to discern with an underfed Long-billed Dowitcher (LBDO) or a male LBDO in a a flock of fat Short-billed (SBDOs). Also, the posture of the subject bird in the field is very important not to be led down the wrong path. This is where you need to be aware of additional field marks to get closer to a conclusive ID. Some of the other useful features include, areas like - The neck: The neck of a Long-billed is thicker than a Short-billed, this is quite evident in the field if you have a side by side comparison.

Short-billed and Long-billed Dowitchers side by side - Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge NYC

The bill:  if carefully studied, the bill can offer excellent clues as to the ID of a Dowitcher sp. Take the bill of a  Short-billed Dowitcher - it is thicker, shorter and wider at the base. In comparison, a Long-billed Dowitcher shows a longer bill (quite evident in females) which is not as thick as a Short-billed Dowitcher. The tip of a Short-billed Dowitcher's (SBDO) bill shows a distinct kink - a feature that looks like the bird caught its bill in a closing door. On a Long-billed Dowitcher (LBDO), this is not so evident and aids in the longer, thinner looking bill tip.

Long-billed Dowitcher (C) among Short-billed Dowitchers - Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge NYC

This leads me into an ID feature that I have worked on in the field when trying to separate those tough small male Long-billed Dowitchers from big female Short-billed Dowitchers. At the base of a Long-billed Dowitcher, there is a pinched look just where the base of the culmen meets the face. This gives the impression of a steeper incline where the bill meets the forehead. In comparison, the base of the culmen on Short-billed Dowitcher has a smoother less inclined meeting with the forehead. This feature is one that I personally have focused on when analyzing Short-billed from Long-billed and I have yet to encounter where it has troubled me. Even on single species, this is a quick feature thrown in with other field marks that I am able to eliminate any suspected LBDO in a flock of Short-billed Dowitchers.

Short-billed Dowitcher (Hendersoni subspecies) - Cupsogue LI NY.

This brings us to plumage and I will not get into the differences in the upper feature of Short-billed Dowitchers vs Long-billed Dowitchers because I do not have enough sample images to share which could clearly point out the color differences in feather edges. Here in NYC, we get most Long-billed Dowitchers when breeding plumage is showing some wear and so if we are looking at color, we turn to the underparts. On an LBDO, the underpart shows a more brick red color while on an SBDO, the color is more orange like. Keep in mind that in both cases, feather wear will result in various shades that could be troublesome. Long-billed Dowitchers, underpart color extends to the undertail and only the prairie subspecies Hendersoni, shows this. This is also another useful clue when analyzing a flock.

Short-billed Dowitcher (Hendersoni subspecies) - Cupsogue LI NY.

I have included a few images which I hope will aid in differentiating Short-billed Dowitchers from Long-billed Dowitchers. The next step is to get out into the field and look at all your Dowitchers, carefully.

Tags: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, Shorebird, Jamaica Bay, Cupsogue, Long-billed Dowitcher, Short-billed Dowitcher

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Arctic Tern at Nickerson Beach LI, NY

This was a long overdue Nassau County bird and fitting that I found my own at Nickerson Beach LI, NY. On June 7th, I was scanning a group of Common Terns when I detected an Arctic Tern (ARTE). Having seen a 1st Summer Arctic Tern at Cupsogue LI on June 2nd, it was nice to get an adult for my 1st Nassau County ARTE. The Tern colonies at Nickerson Beach, makes for a nice study if they are not disturbed. I managed a few photos before this bird was subsequently flushed by a jogger and I could not re-find it again during my time there.

Arctic Tern: A new Nassua County bird and an adult at that.

Some photos are posted for studying purposes. In these photos, we have standing birds - mostly Common Terns with the 1 Arctic. A couple of things to look for are: Note the deep chested look of the Arctic vs the Common Tern. Also the head shape of the ARTE is more rounded with the peak just above the eye. The Arctic Tern, lacks the dark primary wedges one would see in a Common. The legs are quite shorter on an Arctic but be wary of depressions in the ground that could make a bird look like it has shorter legs than it really has. There are other field marks that I will get into in another post which will include flight shots. For now, these are just a few handy tips that I am sharing to use in your search.

Arctic Tern, looking regal amongst the Common Terns.

Using the tips I provided you should by now have figured out which one was the Arctic Tern.

Tags: Nickerson Beach, Long Island, Arctic Tern, Nassau County

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Breezy Point Banded Piping Plover Cowboy Successfully Nested

Cowboy with one of her chicks

In April of this year, I observed a banded Piping Plover at Breezy Point in Queens NY, which I found out was banded in 2016 at the E.B. Forsythe NWR in New Jersey. Nicknamed Cowboy, this female PIPL, decided she would set up shop in Queens - at least that is what I hoped for. After subsequent visits did not show her with a mate, I thought she would not breed this year.

3 Piping Plover Chicks

I was therefore quite delighted on Sunday June 18th to discover that Cowboy had kept her relationship hidden and had indeed found a mate, successfully nested and was now the proud mother of 3 baby Piping Plover chicks. Since Piping Plovers tend to lay 4 eggs, there is a good chance I might have missed the 4th chick? Cowboy looked quite comfortable in her motherly role and I observed how protective she and her mate got when a Red-winged Blackbird got too close to their chicks. These tiny fluff balls will have a tough time dealing with all the dangers of the beach but with a lot of luck and good parenting, they will make it and some day have a family of their own.

Male Piping Plover- Cowboy's mate

Tags: Breezy Point, Queens, Shorebird, Piping Plover, Cowboy

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Banded Great-black Backed Gull

On June 15th, 2017, I observed and documented a 1CY (calendar year) banded Great Black-backed Gull at Nickerson Beach on Long Island NY. Research on the banding data via the Bird Banding Lab for color band code 7EH revealed that the bird was banded as a chick at Near Kittery in York County Maine USA on 6-24-16.  Photos of the bird are included below.

Tags: Great Black-backed Gull, 7EH, ornithology, bird banding, Eastern North America, research management, Long Island NY

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A Cowboy comes to Queens

On April 10th, I found a banded Piping Plover at Breezy Point in Queens NYC. The bands were not easy to see and I had to spend some time getting close enough to be able to see the color bands well.  This bird had no flags but had the following band and color scheme. Upper Left Upper (Green), Upper Left Lower (Light Blue), Upper Right Upper (Dark Blue) and Upper Right Lower (White).

Fish and Wildlife Services listed Mchelle Stantial as the person to contact for any PIPL with color bands and no flags on the upper legs. After reaching out to her, this is what I learned. This female Piping Plover nicknamed "Cowboy" was banded as a day 1 chick at E.B. Forsythe NWR in 2016. She apparently has decided to try out new frontier by settling in Queens. Lets hope she is successful and raise a brood of her own. If you see a banded Piping Plover, please try and document it as best as you could. Researchers are eager to learn the well being of these birds and value every bit of scientific data.

Tags: Breezy Point, Queens, Shorebird, Piping Plover

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Gulling at Floyd Bennett Field Brooklyn NYC

1Cy Lesser Black-backed Gull about to take flight.

I have learned that dire weather can bring good things. I am speaking of course about birds; specifically Gulls, those maddening Laridae types that you either love or hate. The problem for someone like me in Queens, is where to look for Gulls when we have bad weather. Unlike our cousins in Brooklyn, we in Queens have little options save for the Rockaways, Fort Tilden, Riis Park and Breezy Point. There are other sites of course where the usual suspects like Ring-billed Gulls, show up and in good numbers but when we are talking about the percentages for a good return in Queens, then your money is better off betting on hitting the jackpot working the coastal sites.

4Cy Type Lesser Black-backed Gull looking quite spiffy.

As a result, I have found Brooklyn to be better for Gulling, with plenty of options including Floyd Bennett Field. A favored spot to check for Gulls whenever we get hit with a storm. Yesterday, I took a chance in thunderstorm and rain to do some birding. If I had the time, I would have fared better later in the afternoon (as later reports from other birders suggested) when the rain subsided and the light was better. Nevertheless, I can't complain too much for the return in investment of 20-25 minutes of my time, during which I managed 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 1 Iceland Gull (Kumlieni). Not bad for a quick bit of birding.

1Cy Iceland Gull (Kumlieni) in flight.

Tags: Lesser Black-backed Gull, Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, Iceland Gull, New York

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