The Long-billed Dowitcher is a medium-sized shorebird, characterized by its stocky body, straw-yellow legs, and straight bill which it uses in a rapid “sewing-machine” probing motion to forage in shallow freshwater habitats.
Adults measure about 11.4 inches in overall length, with a wingspan of roughly 18.5–19.3 inches; the bill alone ranges from approximately 2.4–2.8 inches in length. They weigh between 3.1–4.6 ounces, with females typically slightly larger than males.
In Arizona, Long-billed Dowitchers are most often encountered during migration and in winter, frequenting mudflats, flooded fields, marsh margins, and wet meadows where water depths are generally less than three inches.
