Enough has been written about dowitcher identification. Probably, “learn the sounds” is enough. Yet every spring, bird ID forums fill up with photos of these look-alikes. Even with all the available information, I had serious difficulties trying to learn how to tell these birds apart, and asking around I found that I was not alone. I think the problem is that the available info is often too detailed, either burying or misrepresenting what is most useful–or in some cases, it is just plain wrong. The two species of North American dowitchers take the cake for the most misidentified species I’ve looked at in eBird’s Macaulay Library, and I’ve even found multiple misidentified photos in a blog intending to help people identify these two species(!) Obviously, there is still plenty of opportunity for confusion, and I hope to clear a lot of that up here.

In reality, the few consistent plumage differences in spring adult dowitchers are straightforward, once you know what to look for and the complications involved. I will be focusing mainly on these two field marks:

1) the scapular pattern.

2) the color pattern on the underparts.

That’s really all you need in most cases, with a decent enough look. If you’re strapped for time, I suggest glancing through the photos in the first two sections and focusing on the text in bold.

Most of the difficulties with these field marks come from the large range of variation in Short-billed Dowitchers, and I’ve tried to highlight that range with the photos below. I’ll also get into how these field marks might be handled at a distance. Most people who have previously broached this ID should be indignantly shouting “what about the spots vs. bars?!” right about now. I will also touch on the subject of 3) spotting vs. barring on the underparts, but mostly to show how that field mark is more nuanced, variable, and difficult to discern than many people realize, albeit still good to know. There are other good marks, e.g. wing projection, shapes, colors, but I am devoting the discussion to the two field marks that were the most consistent and useful to me when starting out. I will also show some photos depicting the very consistent but little talked about field mark of the 4) underwing pattern, which is great if you can snag flight shots (and are still adamant to not learn the sounds).

**important notes: This blog deals with the “Central” or “Prairie” subspecies of Short-billed Dowitcher, scientific name hendersoni, which is the only type expected in the Midwest and also the Gulf Coast of Texas, which is where most of my photos are from. Remember, this blog pertains to fresh breeding plumage, which is often mixed in with worn, plain gray-brown nonbreeding feathers, in adults during spring migration in April and May. The feather patterns discussed below change dramatically over time as the feathers wear. Once you are looking at birds into June and later, the following no longer applies.

PART I - SCAPULAR PATTERN

First, where are the scapulars?

Even if you don’t know exactly where each of these feather groups begin and end (I’m not totally certain of every individual feather; they look pretty similar in places), it is important to know which general area to look at–and which areas to use caution with–when looking for this field mark. Note how some of the coverts and tertials above are plain gray-brown and have frayed edges; these are basic, “nonbreeding” feathers and are much older than the freshly patterned feathers which are the subject of this blog.

The same Short-billed as above, with general area of scapular feathers circled.

The key differences to know here are that the pale scapular tips in Long-billed are generally cut off and completely white, while the pale tips in Short-billed are usually connected to thick pale edges running up the side of the feathers. Often, the color in the edges of Short-billed scaps will bleed into the pale tip, making it not totally white, but this is variable. See below:

Short-billed Dowitcher. April, TX. Some Short-billed’s have so much color in their scaps and upperparts that there is very little white at all–this is a very different look from any Long-billed.

On the other hand, some Short-billed have so much pale in their upperparts that there is very little color. Again, this is very different from Long-billed. April, TX.

The difficulty comes from birds like the one above, with some color in the scaps, but also pale white tips on a number of feathers. This can create a Long-billed like impression if you are not prepared for it. Importantly, the pale tipes are *connected to thick, pale-orange edges up the sides of the feathers* on many of the upperpart feathers in this Short-billed. Compare to Long-billed:

A close-up of the above Long-billed shows the distinctive scapular pattern. The pale tips are mostly white and disconnected from the sides of the feathers by black gaps.

Long-billed Dowitcher, April, TX. Close-up showing distinctive pattern, here not only in the scapulars but also the coverts. Note the distinct white tips which terminate in black gaps on the sides of the feathers.

This Long-billed Dowitcher doesn’t have much in the way of breeding plumage yet, but what it does have are a nice row of identifiable scapulars. A couple of the lower ones actually have some color touching the white tips (oops), but the white tips are still fairly distinct and not connected to any thick, obvious pale edging up the sides of the feathers. April, TX.

Scaps vs coverts and confusing feathers

To my knowledge, the field mark discussed above was first brought to wider attention with an article by Cin-Ty Lee and Andrew Birch, available online (a great source for learning more about the nuances in these birds). The article describes these patterns as pertaining to scapulars and coverts. While this is true much of the time, there are many cases where Long-billed has connected pale edges running from the tips to the sides of the coverts, which might be mistaken for the Short-billed pattern. This overlap shows up pretty frequently in Long-billed coverts, but I have found much fewer cases of overlap in the scapulars proper. While many people, myself included, will use “upperparts” interchangeably with “scapulars” when discussing this feature, it is important to acknowledge the potential confusion when including coverts.

Long-billed Dowitcher. April, IN. The coverts marked with red arrows (greater secondary covert on the left, median covert on the right) show connected pale edges up the sides of the feather, similar to the pattern in Short-billed. I don’t know if this is expected individual variation, age related, or if in some cases these are basic feathers with pale fringes still intact (the greater covert here doesn’t appear to be basic, with clear orange marks elsewhere on the feather). Regardless of why this happens, the *scapulars* (green arrows) are more consistent with the distinct white tip field mark. These feathers also tend to be comparatively lacking in orange color, which is typical of Long-billed upperpart feathers more generally. Photo credit: Joe Bailey.

Another Long-billed, this one showing a greater covert (left arrow) with more extended pale tip, and a scapular (right arrow) with confusing pattern. **This greater covert pattern should be expected in Long-billed**, especially with the sparse orange markings, broken along the sides. The scapular here (if that is a scapular) is a bit of a mystery to me. It does not appear to have the simple pattern of a basic feather, nor the typical pattern of an alternate feather, but is somewhere in between.

I have found isolated cases of a small number of confusing feathers like the ones above in both species. The lesson here is: make sure to focus on the scapulars, and not be thrown off if one or two feathers, especially in the coverts of Long-billed, do not fit the expected pattern for each species described above.

Scaps at a distance

All of these close-ups are great for demonstrating the details, but what about impressions at a distance which are typical in the field? Even as the details of the scapular pattern become less discernible, you can still pick up on the difference in overall continuity and contrast of the pale marks in upperpart feathers. I’ve found it useful to think of the pale marks as creating either an “open” or a “closed-loop” impression:

Long-billed Dowitcher, more distant view. Take note of the impression of the upperparts, with “open” pale marks created by distinct and contrasting white tips. The details of the shapes involved are lost at this distance. Extra hint, this individual is also sporting the tell-tale “Long-billed bump” in its shoulder.

Short-billed Dowitcher. Note how the pale marks in the upperparts take on a more uniform look. It’s subtle, but these are not a bunch of distinct white tips. The impression is created by color bleeding into the pale tips, and thicker pale edges that touch each other in overlaying feathers, creating “closed loops” of pale marks. If it’s difficult to get at first, remember this isn’t the only field mark, but it is among the most consistent.

Part I takeaways: learn the general area of the scapulars and how the difference in pattern on individual feathers creates a different impression in the upperparts: distinct and contrasting white tips in Long-billed, more uniform, connected, and variably colorful edges in Short-billed.

The pattern of white and color can cause confusion in some Short-billed, but the “closed loops” created by thick and overlapping pale edges creates a different appearance overall. Be aware that there may be some odd feathers in either species that confuse the pattern, especially in the coverts of Long-billed.

The difference in scapular pattern is one of the most consistent and obvious plumage differences between the two species and can be picked up at a moderate distance with practice.

PART II - COLOR PATTERN IN UNDERPARTS

Fresh breeding plumage in Long-billed Dowitchers shows broad white fringes to every feather of the belly, side, and breast, as well as a number of feathers showing a distinctive pattern of orange-black-white: orange at the base of the feather, followed by a thin black mark bordered by a white fringe. The three colors (including black and white when saying “color”) are very clear and distinct from one another, and generally create the appearance of orange-black-white stripes due to the long dark markings, i.e. “bars,” typical in Long-billed (more on that later). While this pattern does not show on the entire underside of the bird, if you see enough feathers with this look you know you have a Long-billed.

Close-up of the above bird showing the distinct Long-billed patterns and where you should focus on to see these feathers. All of the fresh feathers in this region show **similar broad, white fringes**. Without mentioning anything to do with bars or spots, the **clear, repeated pattern of distinct orange, black, and white** shown here in numerous feathers is worth noting as this is not shown by Short-billed Dowitcher.

Close-up of above bird. The orange color is subtly different from Long-billed, and the shape of the black marks show differences, but pay attention to the **random distribution of white**, differing from the uniform white fringes in Long-billed throughout the midsection. Also, note how many of the **black marks are surrounded by orange due to the colorful (not white) fringes on some feathers**, whereas in Long-billed these dark marks are almost always bordering wholly white fringes.

Questions to ask when looking at the underpart colors:

1) Where is the white? Is it randomly distributed in patches, or are there distinct broad white fringes on many of the feathers?

2) Do you see any feathers with a very distinct orange-black-white pattern?

Short-billed Dowitchers showing variation in underpart coloration. Similar to the upperparts, there are more colorful and more pale individuals. Long-billed Dowitchers should never be as pale as the bird on the right in fresh breeding plumage.

Once again, the variability in Short-billed can make things confusing at times. Here, the left arrow points to some feathers on the side that look very Long-billed like. The right arrow shows how some feathers show white(-ish) fringes. But note how these feathers tend to occur in random patches, creating a different impression than the uniformly distributed white fringes in Long-billed.

Previous individual at the left of the frame. Notice how the white areas can be confusing in a more colorful Short-billed like this, but are still more randomly distributed. This is a bit subtle and **I would not recommend relying on this field mark alone with a distant view**. More obvious to me, notice how the scapulars in this bird are showing thick pale edges that are touching in overlapping feathers, giving a more uniform, “closed loop” appearance.

This bird shows consistent and distinct white fringes to many feathers of the underside, and where black marks are present, they are almost always clearly bordered by these white fringes. Long-billed Dowitcher. April, TX.

Take a look at the undertail coverts of the previous bird. Notice how orange-black-white Long-billed pattern can sometimes show up clearly in the undertail coverts. **When present in the undertail, this is a really good marker of Long-billed and can be seen at a distance.**

Dowitchers of both species can show some plain white feathers in the belly that are retained from non-breeding plumage. This can mess with the uniform pattern of white fringes in some Long-billed.

Long-billed Dowitcher. April, TX. The white belly on this individual, due not only to white fringes on fresh feathers but also retained white feathers from non-breeding plumage, creates a messy appearance. The **distinct orange-black-white pattern** can still be seen in many feathers.

Part II takeaways: learn the distinct color pattern in Long-billed underparts, with clean white fringes distributed uniformly on each fresh feather, and many of the black marks bordering white fringes, creating a distinctive orange-black-white striped appearance.

Short-billed have variable patches of white on the underparts, and many of the dark marks are surrounded by orange color in individual feathers unlike Long-billed.

Some Short-billed underparts may approach Long-billed in appearance at a distance, and so this field mark is best used with other field marks in those cases. While not always present, the Long-billed color pattern in the undertail coverts can be obvious at a distance.

PART III - SPOTS VS BARS IN THE UNDERPARTS

Though it is possibly the most mentioned field mark, and sometimes touted as the most important, there is a lot of potential trouble when trying to use this feature. The difficulties arise from two places. First, the pattern of barring and/or spotting is consistently different within each species depending on which region of the underparts you are looking at. Understanding the different feather areas and how people talk about them is important if you want to make use of this field mark.

While one could write in depth about each portion of the underparts here, I am going to focus on the foreneck and breast, and the breast side, because these may be the most talked about, and the breast side probably shows the most consistent differences in pattern. Re: the other areas, in a nutshell, Short-billed is highly variable on the sides (even in the Central subspecies), the dark marks in the flanks are often irregular and hard to read in either species, and the undertail is variable in both species.

Foreneck and breast

Two Short-billed on the left (both presumed Central subspecies based on location), Long-billed on the right, from April-May. **Both species can show spots on the foreneck.** Notice how what might be called the “breast” in the Long-billed shows a mix of markings that are difficult to discern as either “spots” or “bars,” whereas the lower breast and breast sides show more clearly long bars. Extra hint: looking at enough of both species, you will start to get a sense of the difference in color, which is apparent in this side-by-side. Long-billed is more saturated and reddish in hue than the more pinkish color in Short-billed.

Both species show what can be called “spotting” in the foreneck. Short-billed averages less dense spotting here, and sometimes lacks it altogether–a trait not seen in Long-billed–but obviously the difference is of degree and not presence vs. absence. Towards the breast and especially breast sides, Long-billed starts to show its difference in more obvious “bars,” i.e. longer, less circular black marks. Because of the range of markings shown by both species in these areas, knowing the boundaries involved (i.e. “breast” vs. “breast side”) has to be part of using this field mark, a fact that is missed by most people.

Breast sides

Short-billed Dowitcher. April, TX. This individual has a very obvious “spotted” dark marks in the breast side, which is probably the most consistent region for these marks.

Towards the corner of the folded wing, the underparts jut up to form an indentation, and this area is what I am calling the “breast side,” as it is the area with perhaps the most consistently different patterns between species in spotting vs barring. The dark marks in the bird above are much more spotted, i.e. short, circular, than what you will see in Long-billed in this area.

Long-billed Dowitcher. April, TX. Notice how different the feathers appear under the right arrow vs. the left. The feathers at the right may have black bars, but they are difficult to discern due to overlapping feathers with broad white fringes.

The confusion with Long-billed comes from the fact that 1) the feathers on the breast side get small and show a lot of overlap, which can obscur whether you are looking at spots or bars, and 2) the feathers in this area are bordering the feathers on the “breast” to the right, which can have a spotted appearance in both species, and the “sides” to the left, which can have bars in both species. Does your brain hurt yet? And this is not even taking into account the variability in either species.

Short-billed Dowitcher. April, TX. Note the irregular black markings on the breast side, and the barred appearance on the sides– **barred markings should be expected on the sides of Short-billed, even in individuals considered to be of the Central subspecies**. Note the lack of any obvious orange-black-white stripes where there are dark markings, which would be obvious in a Long-billed in this view.

Short-billed Dowitchers showing variation in “barred” vs. “spotted” appearance in underparts. April, TX.

The bird on the left above shows an irregular mix of markings which lean towards spotting on the breast side, a typical look for Short-billed, while the bird on the right shows what I can only call “bars” on the breast side. Birds like the right bird may be an uncommon extreme, but the range of variation is real, and everything in between these two appearances should be expected in Short-billed. To me, the color pattern on the right bird, with irregular white regions and no obvious orange-black-white striping, and the scapular pattern, are much more obvious than any difference in spotting vs. barring.

Part III takeaways: using differences in spotting vs. barring in the underparts first requires an understanding of the different feather regions involved and the expected patterns there in each species. Both species can show spot-like markings in the foreneck and breast, though to different degrees. Elsewhere, one must contend with the range of variation in Short-billed Dowitcher. The shape of dark markings on the breast side of Long-billed can be obscured by overlapping feathers.

Checking the underpart markings is perhaps the most useful in the case where Short-billed shows extensive spotting in multiple areas.

QUIZ BIRD (answer at end):

In the above bird, would you describe the dark markings on the underside as spotted or barred? Putting that question aside… ask the key questions of the color pattern for the underparts: where is the white? Are there extensive white fringes to many feathers in the midsection, or is the white randomly distributed in patches? Do many of the dark markings border white fringes, creating a clear orange-black-white pattern, or are there many dark marks surrounded by orange? Are the undertail coverts any help here?

What about the pale pattern on the scapulars: are there distinct and contrasting white tips, or are there pale, colorful edges bleeding into the tips, with closed loops and a more uniform appearance to the upperparts? (Hint, the greater coverts may mislead you here).

PART IV - THE UNDERWING

While researching this subject, I came across a great blog by Guillermo Lazaro on the different underwing patterns in these species. The blog is very thorough, but I just wanted to pump this field mark here with some more photos as not many people talk about it or have heard of it.

Long-billed consistently show a white patch at the leading edge of the base of the wing, while in Short-billed this area is has more dark marks. The white patch also usually extends into a paler row of coverts, creating the appearance of a pale line, while in Short-billed these coverts are uniformly marked with the rest of the underwing coverts. While this field mark is highly consistent in adults, there is some more variation in juveniles, not seen during spring migration.

Long-billed Dowitcher showing characteristic white patch on the underwing along with pale line extending into coverts. These are the most consistently different regions. April, TX.

Short-billed Dowitcher showing comparatively darker markings in these areas. Note how the area of the “white patch” in Long-billed is somewhat more pale, but it is not obviously “white” as in the Long-billed. April, TX.

Long-billed Dowitchers in flight. April, TX.

This field mark became my silver bullet when birds were either flying too far to hear, or maybe not calling in flight (does that happen?). I was amazed at not only the consistency, but also how well it showed up in pretty distant photos.

The same three birds in the photo above cropped in to see the underwing pattern.

Short-billed Dowitchers in flight. April, TX.

Crop of left two birds in above photo. Notice how there is a pale area near where the patch should be, but it is not *really* white. Some caution is needed.

Part IV takeaway: if you have a dowitcher that takes off, you’re not sure of the calls, and you have a camera, fire away. You might pick up the identifiable difference in the underwing pattern. This can also be good to pick out one or two of the other dowitcher species sneaking by in a flock comprised of mostly one species.

Short-billed Dowitcher (left) with Long-billed Dowitcher (right). April, TX.

Additional reading available online:

The Identification and Migration of Breeding Plumaged Dowitchers in Southern Ontario

^^A lot of the info covered here came from this source.

Advances in the Field Identification of North American Dowitchers

^^Learn more about nuances in dowitchers which can apply throughout the year.

Underwing pattern in dowitchers

^^In-depth look at underwing patterns.

Answer to quiz photo: Long-billed Dowitcher. I chose this photo as the bird has a confusing array of irregular dark marks on the underparts, not clearly “spots” or “bars,” while the color pattern is fairly clear: broad white fringes all over the side, belly, and breast, and the dark marks, however irregular in shape, are clearly bordering white fringes (orange-black-white, orange-black-white…). The scapulars also show distinct and cutoff white tips, even while a number of the coverts are confusing or not showing this pattern.