DOS September Meeting: “Dowitcher Identification: How can two species be so hard!” by Dr. Michael C. Moore
September 16 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
Summary: This talk will be held in person only at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science and will be held in the bird collection. There will be an opportunity to examine actual museum specimens of Dowitchers to see first hand the issues described in the talk.
The two Dowitcher species present one of the most difficult identification challenges among North American birds. Both species occur in Delaware in good numbers. Recent work has revealed several new identification criteria that will be covered in this talk as will some widely used field marks that are not as reliable as previously thought. The goal is to increase your confidence in identifying these two species as well as learning when they are best left as Dowitcher sp.
Dr. Michael Moore is a past president of DOS and a retired Biology Professor. He earned his doctorate at the University of Washington in Seattle and was on the Faculty at Arizona State University for almost 30 years before moving to the University of Delaware in 2011 and then retiring in 2020. He has published over 100 scientific papers on reptiles, birds and dragonflies. He has been a passionate birder for 50 years and enjoys chasing rarities and working through identification challenges. He is currently the chair of the Publications Committee for DOS.
The meeting is held IN PERSON ONLY at Delaware Museum of Nature and Science. The in person meeting is open to everyone and admission is free. The presentation will involve looking at actual museum specimens of the birds discussed, so cannot be live streamed. Please come out and enjoy this unique hands on experience.