Short-billed Dowitcher
(Limnodromus griseus)

Overview

Summary

© Christian Artuso
For additional photos and vocalizations, visit Dendroica. (Link opens in a new window.)

The Short-billed Dowitcher breeds in wetlands of the boreal forest and winters along both the Pacific and Atlantic coast between the United States and South America. Like other boreal nesting shorebirds, this species is among the least studied. There are three subspecies in North America: L. g. caurinus, which breeds from Alaska south to Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, L. g. hendersoni, which breeds in central Canada (Manitoba through Alberta), and L. g. griseus, which breeds across Labrador to James and Hudson Bays (Jehl et al. 2001). Differentiating the subspecies (especially L.g. hendersoni), as well as differentiating between Short- and Long-billed Dowitchers, can be challenging. Surveys at migratory stopover locations suggest a large decrease in abundance relative to the early 1970s. Like for many shorebirds, ongoing protection of key staging and wintering sites is a management priority for this species. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• BirdLife International / NatureServe

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation

Conservation and management

Although the species remains relatively poorly studied, large declines in Ontario (Ross et al. 2012) and throughout Canada make this species the subject of current conservation concern. The coastline of James Bay provides important habitat both for breeding and migratory stopovers; the species also makes heavy use of protected areas in the United States (Jehl et al. 2001). Short-billed Dowitchers often winter in brackish coastal lagoons and on mudflats of mangrove coasts; habitats that are increasingly lost to development for tourism or aquaculture. Ongoing protection of these areas for the benefit of shorebirds remains an important management priority.

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Jehl, Jr., J.R., J. Klima and R.E. Harris. 2001. Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Jehl, Jr., J.R., J. Klima and R.E. Harris. 2001. Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
• Ross, R.K., P.A. Smith, B. Campbell, C.A. Friis, and R.I.G. Morrison. 2012. Population trends of shorebirds in southern Ontario, 1974–2009. Waterbirds 35(1):15–24. Ross, R.K., P.A. Smith, B. Campbell, C.A. Friis, and R.I.G. Morrison. 2012. Population trends of shorebirds in southern Ontario, 1974–2009. Waterbirds 35(1):15–24. (Link)