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Short-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus griseus

IUCN status: Vulnerable

 

Identification

Similar to Asian Dowitcher but much smaller with diagnostic shortish, yellowish green legs (black in Asian Dowitcher). Very similar to Long-billed Dowitcher in non-breeding plumage. Best distinguished by call.

Confusing Species

Asian Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher

 

 

Distribution

 

Distribution

Vagrant to Australia.

Migratory habits

Migrates south to California and Peru

Breeding

Breeds in Alaska and Canada.

Sightings of Short-billed Dowitcher in Australia

Location State Sighting period
Corner Inlet  VIC 18/06/1995

References

  1. Geering, Andrew, Lindsay Agnew, and Sandra Harding, eds. Shorebirds of Australia. Csiro Publishing, 2007.
  2. eBird. 2021. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available:  http://www.ebird.org (Accessed: Date 12/4/2026)
  3. Rogers A, Fuller RA & Amano T (2023) Australia’s migratory shorebirds: Trends and prospects. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. University of Queensland, Brisbane.
  4. Driessen, J., Kidd, L. R., Weller, D. R., Purnell, C., Maguire, G., Jaensch, R., and LeClair, S. M. (2025). Australian National Directory of Important Migratory Shorebird Habitat. Report for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. BirdLife Australia, Melbourne.
  5. https://sproggies63.github.io/birding_apps/
  6. Jehl Jr., J. R., J. Klima, and R. E. Harris (2020). Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.shbdow.01