Distribution

Breeding Range

Exclusively North America, where breeds mainly in muskegs of taiga, barely to subarctic tundra. Distribution evidently concentrated in 3 major areas: (1) s.-central Quebec–central Labrador (interior of Ungava Peninsula) to Ontario coast of James and s. Hudson Bays; (2) n. Manitoba intermittently to w. Alberta; and (3) mountains of nw. British Columbia, south along coast to Queen Charlotte Is., British Columbia (52–55°N), and coastal Alaska (Kodiak Is., and Bristol Bay, 56–60°N). No verified nesting in Siberia. All papers in Russian literature that mention nesting of Short-billed in Siberia are erroneous and should instead refer to Long-billed Dowitcher (P. Tomkovich pers. comm.).

Although the species has a broad range, known breeding locations are few (Fig. 1) and breeding distribution may be more restricted than currently believed (see Demography and populations: population status, below). Harris (1987) suggested that in Ontario this species is “most abundant at the treeline” and perhaps less common in the coniferous forest to the south. The same may be true of Manitoba, where the only confirmed nesting areas are near treeline at Churchill (R. Koes and J. DuBois pers. comm.).

L. g. caurinus breeds in s.-coastal Alaska (Nushagak and Copper Rivers; Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959), Prince William Sound region, where locally common (Isleib and Kessel 1973), Kvichak River (Bristol Bay; Hurley 1932), Yakutat Bay (Shortt 1939), Kodiak archipelago (R. MacIntosh pers. comm.), s. Yukon in lower Yukon River drainage (Godfrey 1986, Birds of Yukon Project unpubl.), and British Columbia (in northwest, in vicinity of Chilkat Pass and St. Elias Mtns. [Campbell et al. 1990], and Queen Charlotte Is. [near Massett; no specimens, racial identity undetermined; M. McNall pers. comm.]).

L. g. hendersoni breeds in central and n. Alberta (Rowan 1932, Semenchuk 1992), Saskatchewan (Smith 1996), Manitoba (Churchill; Jehl and Smith 1970), n. Ontario (Winisk, Sutton River) and perhaps Moose Factory. Nests on Akimiski Is. (Nunavut), James Bay (Carpentier 1989; racial identity presumed, no specimens).

L. g. griseus breeds in w. Labrador, central Quebec (Schefferville; Harris 1989), and N. Twin I. (Nunavut), James Bay (Manning 1981). Western shore of James Bay area evidently zone of overlap between griseus and hendersoni.

Winter Range

In Basic plumage, this species difficult to separate visually from Long-billed Dowitcher, which winters in many of the same locations and habitats as Short-billed Dowitcher. As a result, during winter, many individuals simply identified as dowitcher sp. Winter range described below based on data from Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs; it is presumed that individuals listed as Short-billed on CBCs were identified by their diagnostic call notes) and references as cited.

Winters locally along immediate Pacific Coast (including large coastal bays) from n. California (Humboldt Bay, Humboldt Co.; Small 1994), and rarely from central Washington (Paulson 1993, Am. Ornithol. Union 1998), south to s. California. No acceptable winter records from interior regions of California (Small 1994). From s. California, winters south along both coasts of Baja California, along Pacific coast of Middle America from Sonora, Mexico (Russell and Monson 1998), south to Panama (Ridgely and Gwynne 1989), and along Pacific coast of South America from Colombia south to central Peru (Am. Ornithol. Union 1998).

Winters locally along the immediate Atlantic Coast from s. Virginia (Accomack Co.), and rarely from s. New Jersey (individuals identified by call have been recorded through 10 Feb at Cape May, NJ; Sibley 1997), south to s. Florida and west along Gulf Coast to s. Texas. From Texas, winters along immediate Gulf coast from Tamaulipas, Mexico, south to Panama (Ridgely and Gwynne 1989, Howell and Webb 1995), and along the Atlantic coast from Colombia and Venezuela south to e.-central Brazil (Am. Ornithol. Union 1998), including Trinidad and Tobago (ffrench 1991) and other islands off the coast of Venezuela (Meyer de Schauensee and Phelps 1978).

Also winters throughout West Indies where common in Bahamas, Greater Antilles, Cayman Is., and Barbados; uncommon in Virgin Is.; and uncommon to rare in most of Lesser Antilles (Raffaele et al. 1998). Rare during winter in Bermuda (Amos 1991).

Range of races largely inferred (Am. Ornithol. Union 1958) because differences in Basic plumage not evident. L. g. caurinus along West Coast from California to Colombia or Peru; L. g. hendersoni from Carolinas and Gulf Coast, along east and west coasts of Middle America to Panama and northern and northwestern coasts of South America; L. g. griseus in West Indies, but mainly from coastal Venezuela to Brazil, with largest concentrations in Suriname, n.-central Brazil, and lagoons along central coast of Venezuela (Morrison and Ross 1989).

A few dowitcher sp. vagrants reported from Europe (Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Spain) and Japan (Jonsson [1993] says only 1 European sighting [Ireland] confirmed as Short-billed).

Historical range perhaps contracted or disrupted by overhunting in nineteenth century (Forbush 1912; see below), but actual changes undocumented. Recent (1984) nesting in British Columbia (Campbell et al. 1990) may represent southward expansion, but more likely overlooked previously. Alleged breeding south to Wisconsin in 1860s and 1870s (Robbins 1990) not verified. See Demography and populations: population status, below.

Reported from Pleistocene deposits from Oregon, California, and Illinois (Brodkorb 1967). Remains slightly larger than, but most similar to, L. griseus described from the late Pliocene.