Yes, it is a Long-billed Dowitcher Author: cwaikeung Time: 23/02/2015 06:28
Thank you for the reply. We are still discussing how to define a "long-billed" because "short-billed", which is not common in HK, is also mentioned in the reference book. As in the book and the internet articles, they differ in sound but it is difficult to us. Author: ajohn Time: 23/02/2015 14:57
Short-billed Dowitcher has not been recorded in Hong Kong. It is very similar to Long-billed, and very difficult to separate (incidentally, bill length is not the best way to separate them because they ovelap). Short-billed breeds only in North America and is therefore perhaps less likely than Long-billed, which mostly winters in America but breeds in both America and Asia.
In fact, I think think most records of small dowitchers in Hong Kong (i.e. not including Asian Dowitcher) do not look closely to consider the possibility of Short-billed. Those that have considered the possibility have confirmed that the bird involved was Long-billed.
Short-billed is a potential vagrant to Hong Kong (Lesser Yellowlegs is another American species that has been seen here) so it still may be worth paying close attention to these dowitchers.
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