Birds Birds at Anastasia Island, FL

[jcass]

This past summer, I vacationed for five days in St. Augustine, FL. I highly recommend it. Each morning I went Castillo de San Marcos or to nearby Anastasia Island to photograph the sunrise and the local birds. Here are some photos of the birds and water fowl in that area.

White Ibis

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Roseate Spoonbill

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[jcass]

I'm identifying this as a Willet. Google keeps saying that it is a Long-billed Dowitcher. The photo was taken early last July in Anastasia State Park.

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[Archibald]

Nice shot. Merlin identifies it as a Willet with Short-billed Dowitcher as a second option.

 

[Bryan Conner]

Nice image. I definitely am not a bird person except that I like to eat chicken, but Google Gemini says:

Based on the features visible in your photo, this bird is a Long-billed Dowitcher.

While the Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitcher are notoriously difficult to distinguish from a single photo, there are several key indicators that point toward a Long-billed Dowitcher over a Willet:

Identification Key​

• The Bill: The bill is exceptionally long and very straight, which is a hallmark of dowitchers. A Willet has a thick, heavy bill, but it is typically shorter and often shows a distinct blue-gray base with a dark tip.
• Facial Markings: You can see a prominent, dark "eyeline" running through the eye and a pale "eyebrow" (supercilium) above it. Long-billed Dowitchers specifically tend to have a flatter, straighter supercilium compared to the more arched one seen on Short-billed Dowitchers.
• Plumage: The mottled brown and rufous (reddish-brown) pattern on the back is characteristic of a dowitcher moving into or in its breeding plumage. Willets are generally much more uniform gray or "plain" brown, depending on the season.
• Body Shape: The bird has a "hunched" or "egg-shaped" profile, often described as looking like it "swallowed a grapefruit." This chunky, front-heavy look is a classic dowitcher silhouette, whereas Willets are more elegant and "pigeon-shaped" with much longer, blue-gray legs.

A Quick Tip for the Field​

If you see them in motion, Dowitchers have a very distinct feeding style—they probe the mud or sand rapidly in a vertical "sewing machine" motion. Willets are much more deliberate, walking slowly and picking at prey or probing less frantically.