Asiatic Dowitcher

Limnodromus semipalmatus (Blyth, 1848)

2018-05-28 Tyumen region, Ishim neighborhood	© Stepan Boldyrev

Description

Asiatic Dowitcher in size and coloration is very similar to Bar-tailed Godwit, but is distinguished by specific formation of bill: it is long, thin and with the upper mandible some enlarged plated rugged in terminal part. In addition to bill formation Asiatic Dowitcher is well differed from Godwits by the toes, all of which are connected by small but well notable webs. Adult Dowitcher in summer plumage has chestnut-rusty head, neck, craw, fore-breast and flanks; crown and lores are darker than rest parts, blackish-brownish, forehead and chin are backward paler than rest parts. Mantle, scapulars and inner secondaries are blackish-brown with broad pale edges of feathers, this adges are rufous in fore-mantle and white in rear part of mantle. Uppertail is whitish buffy tinged. Flight feathers are blackish-brown, secondaries and its coverts are with white edges. Axillaries are white with rare dark spots. Female is slightly dimmer than male. Bill and legs are black. Eyes are dark-brownish. In winter plumage adult birds have grayish-brown upperparts with white edges of feathers; underparts are off-white with dark cross-streaks on breast and flanks. Juveniles are similar on winter adults but its feathers edges are buffy, breast is pale-buff. Size: wing 166-180, tarsus 45-53, bill 72-83 mm.

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