Scientific Name: Limnodromus semipalmatus
Malay Name: Kedidi-Tetiruk Asia
Chinese Name: 半蹼鹬
Range: Breeds in southern Siberia, northern China and Mongolia; winters from east India through southeast Asia to northern and eastern Australia. Locally, typically recorded on passage.
Taxonomy: Monotypic.
Size: 34-36 cm
Identification: In breeding plumage, shows orange-red head, breast, and upper belly, and orange-fringed upperpart feathers. Non-breeding-plumaged individuals (typically recorded in Singapore) may be confused with Black- and Bar-tailed Godwit, but can be differentiated from both these species by combination of mostly dark, straight, heavy-tipped bill, mostly brown rump and thinly-barred uppertail in flight.
Similar looking species: Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit
Habitat: Coastal mudflats and occasionally inland freshwater areas.
Behaviour/Ecology: When feeding, probes deeply into soil; usually associates with similar-sized and larger waders.
Local Status: Very rare migrant
Conservation Status: Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2016)
Featured reports: Aug 2022
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Asian Dowitcher)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Limnodromus semipalmatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22693351A93397892.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
Van Gils, J., Wiersma, P., and Kirwan, G. M. (2020). Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), version 1.0. In del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D. A., & de Juana, E. (Eds.), Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.asidow1.01
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Singapore Birds Project. (n.d.). Asian Dowitcher. Retrieved on June 2, 2023 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/asian-dowitcher.