Short-Billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus griseus
DescriptionUnlike some of the other shorebirds, this bird vigorously moves its head up and down as it probes for food, sometimes even submerging its entire head underwater. The rapid motion of the probing has been said to look like an "animated sewing machine". Dowitchers feed on small crustaceans, aquatic insects, and plant matter. This bird breeds in the sub-Arctic region and is a winter visitor to our coastal area.
Stocky gray body. White belly. Dark mottled wings. Dark eyestripe. Dark crown and forehead. Long, straight, dark bill. Distinctively barred tail feathers just above undertail coverts. Underparts are reddish during breeding. Sexes similiar. 12 inches in length.
Ponds, marshes, and coastal mudflats.
Nesting4 greenish eggs with brown spots and a 20 day incubation period. Fledging occurs ? days after hatching. Both the male and female participate in the incubation. The nest is a ground depression lined with grass and moss.
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