Migration

Medium-distance migrant; no known resident populations. Generally migrates shorter distances than Short-billed Dowitcher and most other Nearctic breeding shorebirds. Migration originates from main breeding grounds in w. and n. Alaska and ne. Russia, to wintering areas in coastal states of w. and s. U.S., and in Mexico, but almost nothing known about where specific breeding populations winter. Recoveries of 2 banded individuals from North Slope of Alaska at Cheyenne Bottoms, KS, and coast of Louisiana suggest some n. Alaska breeders migrate through interior Great Plains of North America (P. Martin pers. comm., Bird Banding Laboratory records). Migrates later in fall than Short-billed Dowitcher and earlier in spring (most regions), probably because it nests farther north. Spring passage more compressed than fall passage (Steeves and Holohan 1995).

Spring

Migration extends from Feb–May, with main arrivals on breeding grounds from mid- to late May (see Fig. 3). In interior Alaska, usual (60% of years) first arrival dates at Fairbanks 8–12 May (range 6–19 May). Peak movement varies between 12 and 16 May (18–19 May 1989). A few stragglers often still present through first week Jun (latest 12 Jun 1964 and 21 Jun 1979, upper Tanana River Valley; 16 Jun 1991, Fairbanks). At Anaktuvuk Pass, central Brooks Range, these interior birds usually first arrive 16–29 May, and their passage is brief (Irving 1960). Mean arrival date near breeding grounds on Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, 13 May (1988–1991; B. McCaffery pers. comm.). Migration is widespread along West Coast, through Great Basin, and mid-continental region of North America west of 90°W. Three major stopover areas include Lahontan Valley, NV (Carson Lake, Humboldt Sink, Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge [NWR]); Great Salt Lake, UT; and Cheyenne Bottoms, KS (Neel and Henry 1997, Skagen et al. 1999). East of Rocky Mtns., general migration may follow likely route of avian species traveling through prairie states, n. Alberta, ne. British Columbia, and Yukon Territory into e.-central Alaska via Tanana Valley to nw. and n. Alaska (B. Kessel unpubl.). Some inland dowitchers also likely follow Mackenzie River to Beaufort Sea coast of Yukon and Mackenzie NWT. Small numbers migrate up through eastern states. See Demography and populations: population status, below.

Western. Northward migration along coast begins Feb and proceeds into Apr and May. In California and Oregon, movement begins early Feb, with small peaks in mid-Mar and greatest numbers mid- to late Apr (Lenna 1969, Nehls 1989, Gilligan et al. 1994). Peaks farther north along coast of Washington and British Columbia late Apr–late May (Buchanan 1988, Campbell et al. 1997). In Alaska, Long-billed Dowitchers migrate along coast and through interior; interior migrants suspected to go to Seward Peninsula and n. Alaska (Kessel 1989). Earliest arrivals travel through se. Alaska in last week of Apr and arrive at Copper River Delta, a major stopover site almost 1,000 km west of their closest breeding grounds on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, in first week of May, a few days later than Short-billed Dowitcher (Isleib and Kessel 1973). On Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, some individuals also seen first week of May (R. Gill unpubl.), while farther north (Seward Peninsula to Cape Thompson region), individuals arrive second week of May, with main arrival the third week (Kessel 1989). Along eastern range of breeding ground in n. Alaska, early arrival date of 25 May (Hohenberger 1994); regarded as one of the latest shorebirds to begin breeding in this region (Moitoret et al. 1996).

Short-billed Dowitcher more common on central coast in California; Long-billed more common through interior regions (Lenna 1969, Neel and Henry 1997, Shuford et al. 1998). Migration chronology through coastal areas in the west seems similar for both species (Pitelka 1950).

Interior. Great Basin: Common and abundant migrant in Great Basin (Ryser 1985, Neel and Henry 1997); most dowitchers seen here are Long-billed (Hainline 1974, Paton et al. 1992). In w. Great Basin, peak numbers late Apr–mid-May (Gilligan et al. 1994, NW). Birds migrating through w. Great Basin probably switch to coast in Oregon and Washington as they head to breeding grounds, but this needs clarification (NW). In e. Great Basin, around Great Salt Lake, earliest arrivals in late Mar (Sordahl 1981). Fairly common migrant in Idaho (Taylor et al. 1992).

Great Plains and Midwest: Common and abundant migrant in Great Plains, moderately dispersed. Generally more common on western side of Great Plains than eastern side. Fairly common transient Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado (Bailey and Niedrach 1965). Long-billed Dowitcher composes >10% of all shorebirds counted at stopover sites in Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska; not as common in w. Montana, S. Dakota, N. Dakota, e. Alberta, and Saskatchewan (Skagen and Knopf 1993, Steeves and Holohan 1995).

Northward migration in s. Great Plains begins late Feb–Mar. In High Plains of Texas, first arrival in late Feb (Davis and Smith 1998a), in Oklahoma mid-Mar (Oring and Davis 1966). Farther north, in w. Nebraska, early arrivals around 14 Apr, average 30 Apr–2 May, late individual 27 May; e. Nebraska dates appear to be slightly later (Swenk 1940).

In east-central states, regular, common migrant. Common transient in w. Missouri beginning mid-Mar, peak early May (Robbins and Easterla 1992); through Iowa, early arrivals 22 Apr, peak early May, last detected 13 May (Dinsmore et al. 1984). Uncommon spring migrant in Minnesota late Apr–late May, rare in north-central and northeastern part of state (Janssen 1987). North into Great Plains of Canada, early arrival in Alberta on 26 Apr, mean arrival on 4 May, with late departure 6 Jun; 70% of Long-billed Dowitchers pass through Alberta 11–17 May (Steeves and Holohan 1995).

Eastern. Rare to very rare spring migrant through e. North America. In general, species travels west of northeastern coastal plain during spring but through this area during fall. Birds seen in southern states mid-Mar–beginning of May (Tomkins 1961, James and Neal 1986, Robinson 1990); farther north (e.g., NJ and MA) mid-Mar–end of May (Leck 1984, Veit and Petersen 1993).

Fall

Main migration generally Jul–Oct (Fig. 3) but may extend to Nov or later. Latest migrants leave northernmost breeding areas in Russia and Alaska from Sep to early Oct (Stishof et al. 1991, Hohenberger et al. 1994), with earliest arrivals in southern states such as Texas late Jul–early Aug (White and Mitchell 1990, Davis and Smith 1998a) and Florida early Sep (Stevenson and Anderson 1994). Migration is widespread along West Coast, through Great Basin, and mid-continental region of North America west of 90°W. Four major stopover areas: Lahontan Valley, NV, Great Salt Lake, UT, Cheyenne Bottoms, KS, and Devils Lake, ND (Neel and Henry 1997, Skagen et al. 1999). Small numbers migrate down through the eastern states, where they are more common than in spring.

Western. Late dates for Wrangel I., Russia, 12 Sep–9 Oct (Stishof et al. 1991). In interior Alaska, first fall migrants (adults) arrive in Fairbanks and Tanana River Valley first week of Jul (earliest 2 Jul 1974 and 7 Jul 1979), and passage continues through third week Sep (B. Kessel unpubl.). Along coast, small numbers seen at Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta into mid-Sep (R. Gill pers. comm.). Staging at Nelson Lagoon on Alaska Peninsula ranged from 15 Aug to 15 Oct (Gill et al. 1981), with peak of staging of thousands of Long-billed Dowitchers from last week of Sep to first week of Oct (Gill and Jorgenson 1979). At Copper River Delta, AK, first arrivals beginning of Aug (probably adults), common during last half of Aug–early Sep, last individuals 7–12 Oct (Isleib and Kessel 1973). In British Columbia, adults from Jul to early Sep; mostly juveniles from Sep to Oct; all ages more numerous in interior in autumn than in spring; on coast, numbers peak in Oct (Campbell et al. 1997). In Washington, common on coast and within Puget Sound (Buchanan 1988). Common in Oregon east of Cascades from Jul through Oct, west of Cascades from Jul through Nov (Gilligan et al. 1994). Of samples collected from British Columbia to California, only adults collected from 22 Jul to 15 Sep; juveniles collected 16–30 Sep (Pitelka 1950). On central coast of California, earliest adults detected 4 Jul, earliest juveniles 4 Sep (Shuford et al. 1989). Wintering dowitchers in central coastal California and San Francisco Bay seem to be mostly Long-billed (Lenna 1969, J. Takekawa and S. Warnock unpubl.). In general, Short-billed Dowitcher appears early to mid-Jul, gone by early Oct; Long-billed appears late Sep and passes through by mid-Nov, except for those that are wintering (Lenna 1969).

Interior. Common and abundant migrant in Great Basin (Ryser 1985). Fairly common transient Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado (Bailey and Niedrach 1965, Andrews and Righter 1992). Species constitutes >10% of shorebirds counted at stopovers in Nevada and Utah, Wyoming and Colorado, e. Alberta and Manitoba, N. Dakota and S. Dakota, and Nebraska and Oklahoma; not as common in Idaho and w. Montana (Skagen and Knopf 1993). Most common dowitcher found in Idaho, from mid-Jul to late Oct, with late date 30 Oct; high count (n = 1,026) 11 Aug (Taylor et al. 1992). Farther east, uncommon fall migrant in Minnesota from Jul to early Nov (Janssen 1987). Regular, common migrant through Iowa: early arrivals 3 Aug; last detected 7 Nov; peak in Aug and Sep (Newlon and Kent 1980, Dinsmore et al. 1984). In Nebraska, early arrivals of dowitcher spp. (most, if not all, Long-billed) mid-Jul; greatest prominence last 10 d in Aug, with late dates early Nov (Swenk 1940). Common migrant through Missouri, with peak numbers in Oct (Robbins and Easterla 1992). In n. Utah, arrival dates range from 8 Jul to 6 Oct (Sordahl 1981). In Oklahoma, 10 Jul–20 Oct earliest to latest migration arrival (Oring and Davis 1966). High Plains of Texas, first migrating individuals 24–25 Jul (Davis and Smith 1998a). Occurs on s. Texas coast after early Aug, abundant in Oct (White and Mitchell 1990).

Eastern. In Massachusetts, first adults seen by mid-Jul; maximum numbers late Sep–early Oct (Veit and Petersen 1993). In New Jersey, observed from end of Jul–end of Oct (Urner and Storer 1949, Jehl 1963), uncommon at Cape May, NJ (Sibley 1993). In southern states, including Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Arkansas, small numbers from mid-Jul to end of Nov (Tomkins 1961, James and Neal 1986, Robinson 1990). In Florida, earliest migrant collected 1 Sep (Stevenson and Anderson 1994). In Costa Rica, arrives late Oct–early Nov (Stiles and Skutch 1989). Transients recorded early Aug–late Oct in Bermuda (Amos 1991). Has been recorded in the West Indies on Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, the Virgin and Cayman Is., St. Christopher, and Barbados, but West Indian status poorly known (Raffaele et al. 1998).

Winter Movements

Except for a few locations, little known about winter movements. In California, disappears from coastal areas during rainy periods, probably moving to Central Valley, as do Dunlin (Calidris alpina; Shuford et al. 1989, 1998, Warnock et al. 1995). In Mexico, separated from Short-billed Dowitcher on intertidal flats during Dec, but found together on intertidal flats by Feb (Engilis et al. 1998).

Very little known. Usually migrates in single-species flocks. Some nocturnal migration. In mid-Oct, Long-billed Dowitchers detected 114 km off coast of New Jersey between 02:45 and 04:45 migrating with WSW winds; some individuals calling (Brady 1990–1991). Dowitchers counted more often at night at Mad River, CA, during fall migration compared with other seasons (Dodd and Colwell 1996).

Adults migrate south 1–2 mo earlier than juveniles. On North Slope of Alaska, juveniles migrate later than adults, moving to coastal areas starting early Aug, peak mid-Aug; latest record 3 Sep (Hohenberger et al. 1994). On Seward Peninsula, AK, main migration of failed breeders and adult females early to mid-Jul, rest of adults by end of Jul, juveniles early Sep; latest individuals 27 Sep (Kessel 1989). In spring, juveniles more likely to be found on west coast than adults.

No data.