Habitat

Wet, grassy meadows (Conover 1926, Brandt 1943). On Seward Peninsula, AK, found mostly in wet meadows; greatest densities coastal lowlands where there are extensive flats with freshwater ponds and wet meadows (Kessel 1989). In nw. Alaska in Pitmegea River region, affinity for sedge-willow, wet meadow or sedge marsh along drainages or near ponds (Childs 1969). Generally restricted to Carex marshes near upland lakes and river bends in northwestern foothills of Brooks Range (Maher 1959). Mostly confined to moist upland freshwater meadows on Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (Brandt 1943). Postbreeders commonly use littoral zone in n. Alaska (Connors 1984, Andres 1989). Found in damp and swampy depressions on Wrangel I., Russia (Stishof et al. 1991). See also Breeding: nest site and Food habits: feeding, below.

See also Food habits: feeding and Conservation and management: management, below. Long-billed Dowitcher more commonly observed in fresh water, Short-billed in salt water (Pitelka 1950). At Point Barrow, AK, postbreeding adults and fledged juveniles use tundra and littoral habitats along coast (Connors et al. 1979). On Seward Peninsula, AK, postbreeders and migrants (especially juveniles) found mostly in Wet Meadow, but also salt-water littoral areas, including mudflats (Kessel 1989). At Nelson Lagoon, AK, Long-billed Dowitcher found in muddier areas than Short-billed, which prefers sandier areas (Gill and Jorgenson 1979). Found on Salicornia margins along channels in Willapa Bay, WA (R. Widrig unpubl.). Habitats used in California include lakes, short-vegetation marshes, wet fields; less common in cismontane lowlands, tidal flats, and river margins (Cogswell 1977). Used water (96.2%) over cobble, sand, and mud substrates (Colwell 1993) on the Mad River, CA. In winter, at Bolinas Lagoon, CA, found in moderately to well-sorted fine sand areas (Page et al. 1979). In Central Valley, CA, commonly found in flooded (but not unflooded) rice fields (Elphick and Oring 1998). Based on flight surveys in Central Valley of California, 66% of Long-billed Dowitchers found in managed wetlands, 28% in agricultural lands, 3% in sewage and evaporation ponds, 3% other (Shuford et al. 1993). In the Great Basin, commonly found foraging in shallow, saline lakes and flooded playas, as well as complex wetlands (Oring and Reed 1996). At lakes and reservoirs in Idaho, this species common on large mudflats (>500 m), uncommon on moderate mudflats (20–200 m) and muddy shores (<5 m width; Taylor and Trost 1992). Used moist shoreline and water up to 4 cm depth (12.2%) and water from 4 to 16 cm depth (87.8%) in Texas (Baldassarre and Fischer 1984). In Mexico, found on shallowly flooded interior wetlands along margins of small flats, ponds, channels, and bays in early winter, but moved to intertidal flats by late winter (Engilis et al. 1998).