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Tom Grey | all galleries >> North American Birds by Type >> Shorebirds >> Dowitchers >> Long-billed Dowitchers > Long-billed Dowitcher, partial breeding plumage
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26-JUL-2011 Tom Grey

Long-billed Dowitcher, partial breeding plumage

Adobe Creek, Shoreline Park

Compare with a Short-billed Dowitcher, http://www.pbase.com/image/136579036 , photographed a few days earlier. This Long-billed has fewer marks overall on the breast, as they usually do in the Fall, since their marks wear off more easily than those of Short-billed. The marks on the sides of the Long-billed's breast are bars rather than spots (both species have bars on the flanks). The base underpart color of the Long-billed is more red, the Short-billed more orange. The Long-billed shows no primary projection beyond the tertials; the Short-billed has noticeable projection. The Long-billed has a plumper body overall than the Short-billed. Finally (not by itself a decisive mark) this Long-billed's bill is longer than this Short-billed's. The best-known distinguishing mark -- white patches on the underside of Short-billed vs. solid red background on Long-billed -- is not reliable in Fall migration when the birds are in molt.

Canon EOS 1D Mark IV ,Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM
1/2500s f/8.0 at 700.0mm iso800 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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