The Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is the one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia.

Taxonomy:

Class: Aves

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Scolopacidae

Genus: Numenius

Species: N. arquata

Binomial name Numenius arquata (Linnaeus, 1758)

Subspecies: Numenius arquata arquata

Numenius arquata orientalis

Distribution:

This is a migratory species over most of its range, wintering in Africa, southern Europe and south Asia. It is present all year in the milder climate of Ireland, Great Britain and the adjacent European coasts. It is highly gregarious outside the breeding season.

Physical Characteristics:

This is the largest wader in its range, at 50-57 cm length, and a 1m wingspan. It is mainly greyish brown, with a white back, and a very long curved bill (longest in the adult female). It is generally wary. The familiar call from which this bird gets it name is a loud curloo-oo. Curlews are easily identified, they are huge, streaky brown waders with a long, obviously down-curved bill. In flight they are mottled brown with a white rump and barred upper-tail. They are bigger than Whimbrels and lack the stripes in the crown.

Habitat:

Breeds on areas of damp moorland and pasture. Winters on estuaries and damp grassland. Curlew is found on intertidal mudflats and sandflats, often with beds of seagrass, on sheltered coasts, especially estuaries, mangrove swamps, bays, harbours and lagoons.

Diet:

Curlew eats mainly small crabs and molluscs. Foraging by day and night, it is slow and deliberate, stalking slowly on sandy and muddy flats, picking from the surface or probing deep with its long bill. This species feeds by probing soft mud for small invertebrates, but will also pick small crabs and earthworms off the surface if the opportunity arises.

Behavior:

A reasonably common breeding bird of damp moorland and heath areas, mainly in the north. Extremely widespread around the coasts in winter and on passage. A widespread breeding bird in northern Europe, wintering abundantly on most of the estuaries of southern Europe.

Breeding

The nest is a bare scrape on taiga, meadow or similar habitat. 3-6 eggs are laid, and incubated for about a month to hatching.