Banner Photo by Ann Kramer

Featured Bird

MEET THE LONG-BILLED CURLEW (Numenius americanus) – by Jeff Sinker

North America’s largest shorebird, the Long-billed Curlew’s genus name “numenius” means “of the new moon,” and the curlew’s long, slender, curved bill does resemble the curve of the moon. Long-billed Curlews are found throughout a wide range of habitats, depending upon the time of year. Although the North American Breeding Bird Survey estimates their global population of breeding pairs to be 140,000, a major continuing threat to these elegant shorebirds is habitat loss due to development and projected effects of climate change.

Long-billed Curlews are often confused with another large shorebird, the Whimbrel. Some key differences to help you sort out which bird you are looking at are the Whimbrel has shorter legs, a shorter curved bill, and is grayish-brown overall. The Long-billed Curlew has longer legs, a very long curved bill with a well-defined curved tip at the end, has a pale buffy breast, and is cinnamon-brownish overall.

During migration and on their winter grounds, Long-billed Curlews use shortgrass prairies, alkali lakes, wet pastures, tidal mudflats, and agricultural fields. On tidal mudflats they can be found foraging for marine crustaceans, bottom-dwelling marine invertebrates, and earthworms. Using their long bills, they can extract deep-burrowing prey like shrimp and crabs or just as easily pluck insects from the surface of the mudflats. When they reach their winter grounds, they can also be found on beaches. During nesting season, they may not necessarily be found close to water since they prefer arid shortgrass and mixed-grass prairies and agricultural fields. After the young fledge, they move to areas with taller, denser grass until they migrate to their winter grounds.

Male Long-billed Curlews make simple scrapes on the ground, and the female will select one for the nest site. The nest will be lined with materials found nearby, such as pebbles, stems or grass. A typical clutch of four eggs will be incubated for 27-31 days, and the young are able to leave the nest within a few hours after hatching. During breeding season, curlews may forage in loose groups, however they are very territorial at the nest site. Pairs may be monogamous and form the same partnership in future years.

Unlike many shorebirds, Long-billed Curlews do not travel to the far north for breeding. Instead, they remain in the lower portion of Canada and throughout the American midwestern states where suitable habitat can be found. More than 75% of native Canadian grasslands have been lost to development and American grasslands have also been greatly reduced in previous decades. Winter wetland habitat in California has declined by 90% and the spraying of pesticides, especially to kill grasshoppers, may reduce the food supply for nesting curlews.

Learn more: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Long-billed_Curlew

Range map: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Long-billed_Curlew

Photo credit: Long-billed Curlew by Ian Davies/Macaulay Library

Range map: Orange (breeding); Blue (non-breeding)