Willet or Dowitcher ID help

[Rich Reich]

I'm having difficulty with the ID of both of the birds in this image. They look very different from each other but seem to be friends! I believe that they are either a dowitcher or willet or both?

Taken in Naples, Florida.

[John Chardine]

Hi Rich You have willets here! Godwits have much longer bills in relation to their head size, and their bills are much more upturned than these. I think these are both adults but the one in the BG has already moulted into Basic, non-breeding plumage but the one in the FG still shows breeding plumage. The streaking on FG bird under the chin and upper neck eliminate a juvenile bird. Early in the fall migration you often see shorebirds of the same species with a mix of moults, some more advanced than the other. When was the image made?

Thoughts from others?

[Judd Patterson]

Image date shows 2008:04:27. As John mentions, these are both Willet. The background birds shows the typical very plain plumage that we see in winter...then they molt into the spectacular breeding plumage (ok, maybe not) exhibited by the foreground bird. Overall they are a fairly plain bird, but I still enjoy seeing them work the surf when I visit the beaches.

[Rich Reich]

Thank you both. For how long does the breeding plumage last (or over what period should it be present) ? As you mentioned, the images were made in late April.

[John Chardine]

I imagine it is roughly to mid-July/August.

[Wayne Richardson]

Hi Rich

Both these birds can be racially identified to be the SSP 'Western' Willet & not the race that actually breeds in Florida, i.e. the nominate 'Eastern' Willet. Some consider them to be a separate species.

If you bear with me, I'll come back later this week with further details on ID etc & some examples to help differentiate them.

Cheers: Wayne

PS: Dowitchers are much smaller & with green legs.

[John Chardine]

Look forward to your diagnosis Wayne. I think I see what you mean based on what Sibley has. Apologise for making "dowitcher" into "godwit" in Rich's original post. hence my comment.