Photo by Isabel Luevano
If you’re ever on the beach in California, chances are it won’t be too difficult to spot a Long-billed Dowitcher busy at work, searching for prey using its distinctive long bill to probe wet sand and sediment in a “sewing machine” motion.
This Long-billed Dowitcher was recently transferred to us from our friends at Native Animal Rescue (NAR) in Santa Cruz, CA. The bird was found grounded in the yard of a member of the public in nearby Pleasure Point. During the intake exam, our team discovered a fractured clavicle and a wound over the dowitcher’s left elbow, rehabilitation technician Isabel Luevano reports. The injuries are likely the result of being caught by a predator.
On Friday, the bird under went surgery by Dr. Rebecca Duerr to stitch up the laceration over its elbow. This patient of the week is now living in one of San Francisco Bay center’s shorebird enclosures, sifting for the small invertebrates that our team deposits into pond mud for the dowitcher to discover.
Long-billed Dowitchers, photo by Eugene Beckes/Flickr Creative Commons