dowitcher

dowitcher
/dow"ich euhr/, n.
any of several long-billed, snipelike shore birds of North America and Asia, esp. Limnodromus griseus.
[1835-45, Amer.; perh. < N Iroquoian; cf. Mohawk tawístawis snipe]

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bird
 any of three species of shorebirds belonging to the genus Limnodromus, family Scolopacidae. The dowitcher has a chunky appearance and a long bill like a snipe and, in breeding plumage, has reddish underparts, giving rise to the alternative names red-breasted snipe and robin snipe (given also to the knot). It has a white rump and lower back.

      Dowitchers flock on mudflats or sandbars; they fly in tight formations and, after landing, pause awhile before spreading out to feed. They nest in bogs from northeastern Siberia to Hudson's Bay and winter on coasts from the southern U.S. to northern South America. The long-billed dowitcher (L. scolopaceus), about 30 centimetres (12 inches) long including the bill, has a more northwesterly breeding range than the short-billed dowitcher (L. griseus), which is about the same size except for the bill. There is also an Asian species, called the Asiatic dowitcher (L. semipalmatus).

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • dowitcher — ☆ dowitcher [dou′ich ər ] n. pl. dowitchers or dowitcher [< AmInd (Iroquoian) native name] a medium sized, long legged, long billed snipe (genus Limnodromus) of North America and Asia …   English World dictionary

  • Dowitcher — Dow itch*er, n. (Zo[ o]l.) The red breasted or gray snipe ({Macrorhamphus griseus}); called also {brownback}, and {grayback}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Dowitcher — Dowitchers Long billed Dowitcher Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia …   Wikipedia

  • dowitcher — noun (plural dowitchers; also dowitcher) Etymology: probably of Iroquoian origin; akin to Oneida tawístawis dowitcher Date: 1841 any of several long billed wading birds (especially Limnodromus griseus and L. scolopaceus of the family… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • dowitcher — /ˈdaʊwɪtʃə/ (say dowichuh) noun any of various wading birds of the genus Limnodromus, as the Asian dowitcher, L. semipalmatus, a vagrant to northern Australia. {? Iroquoian} …  

  • dowitcher — dumbliai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Limnodromus angl. dowitcher vok. Schlammläufer, m rus. бекасовидный веретенник, m pranc. limnodrome, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – perkūno oželiai siauresnis terminas – amerikinis …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • dowitcher — noun /ˈdaʊɪtʃɜ/lang=en Any of three long legged and long billed migratory wading birds in the genus Limnodromus of the family Scolopacidae …   Wiktionary

  • dowitcher — long billed North American wading bird Unusual Animals …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • dowitcher — n. type of bird …   English contemporary dictionary

  • dowitcher — [ daʊɪtʃə] noun a large North American sandpiper with a long straight bill. [Genus Limnodromus: two species.] Origin C19: from Iroquoian …   English new terms dictionary

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