Belly Waders

Steve took this photo of long-billed dowitchers at the Conaway Ranch last week. Similar to short-billed dowitchers, this species is found more often in fresh water, where the birds' long bills are better suited to wading belly deep.

Dowitchers winter in fresh and salt water, and on mudflats, and breed on wet tundra. Estimated populations of breeding birds and migrants in the U.S. and Canada is 500,000, roughly two dozen of which are represented here.