Long-billed Dowitcher breeds in northern Canada, Alaska and eastern most of Eurasian continent.

The main wintering area is North America, but a small number of this wader winters in East Asia including Japan. Recently some wintering birds are reported from Southeast Asia and Australia. But in these areas, a similar species, Asiatic Dowitcher (L. semipalmatus) also winters in similar habitat. Identification of these two species in field is not so easy. These records should be, therefore, checked carefully.

The wintering habitat of Long-billed in Japan is lowland fresh water wetland. The bird requires shallow water for foraging. The bird does not come to tidal flat or sandy seashore. Several regularly wintering areas of this wader are known in middle to western Japan. Total number of the wintering bird recorded by the national wader count of Japan is about one hundred. Some of the unknown wintering areas of Long-billed may be also supposed. However, it is difficult to estimate more than five hundreds of this wader winter in Japan. Although whole figure of the wintering Long-billed Dowitcher in East Asia-Australasian Flyway is not still unclear, this wader should be one of the targets of conservation in this flyway.