Long-billed Curlew

Numenius americanus

Order: Charadriiformes / Family: Scolopacidae

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brown large shorebird grassland coastal migratory common widespread

About the Long-billed Curlew

The Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) is a prominent member of the Scolopacidae family, renowned for its extraordinarily long, decurved bill and graceful stature. This species plays a pivotal role in North America's grassland and prairie ecosystems, where it primarily breeds. Its presence is a key indicator of the health of these habitats. This bird is celebrated for its intricate and haunting calls that carry across the open landscapes it inhabits.

The Long-billed Curlew's ecological role extends beyond its striking appearance. As a ground-nesting bird, it influences the invertebrate populations it feeds upon, thus maintaining a balance in its environment. During the breeding season, it can be found in the Great Plains, stretching from southern Canada through the central United States, with significant populations in Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming. These birds prefer open, rolling grasslands with short vegetation, ideal for both foraging and nesting.

In winter, the Long-billed Curlew migrates to coastal regions, favoring mudflats, estuaries, and tidal marshes. Here, it continues its role in controlling invertebrate populations. Its migration patterns are closely tied to its seasonal behaviors, with birds departing breeding grounds in late summer and returning in early spring. As a species of considerable ecological importance, the Long-billed Curlew requires vast, undisturbed tracts of land to thrive, making habitat conservation crucial. The bird's significant presence in both inland and coastal regions underscores its adaptability and the diverse challenges it faces from human activity and habitat changes.

The Long-billed Curlew belongs to the family Scolopacidae, within the order Charadriiformes. These birds typically live average lifespan is 10 years with a maximum recorded of 20 years..

How to Identify a Long-billed Curlew

The Long-billed Curlew is readily identifiable by its remarkably long, downward-curving bill, which can measure up to 20 centimeters in length. This bill is more pronounced in females, offering a subtle distinction between sexes. Adult curlews display a warm, cinnamon-buff plumage, accented with fine streaking and barring, particularly on the upperparts. The underparts are paler, with a creamy buff tone.

Juveniles resemble adults but have more uniform plumage and a shorter bill, which gradually elongates with age. In flight, the Long-billed Curlew reveals its striking cinnamon underwings and long, trailing legs. Its silhouette, characterized by a long neck and bill, is distinctive against the open sky. When perched, the curlew maintains a slightly hunched posture, often standing with its bill angled slightly downward.

Confusion may arise with species such as the Whimbrel or the Marbled Godwit; however, the Long-billed Curlew's larger size and uniquely long bill provide clear differentiation. Observers should also note its size, as it is larger than many other shorebirds, which assists in accurate identification.

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Long-billed Curlew Habitat and Range

Preferred Habitat

The Long-billed Curlew thrives in open grassland habitats, particularly those with short-stature vegetation. During the breeding season, it selects expansive prairies and rolling landscapes, often in the Great Plains and intermontane valleys of the western United States. This bird avoids densely vegetated areas, preferring instead spaces that offer wide visibility.

Its habitat requirements shift seasonally; in winter, it transitions to coastal environments. Here, it inhabits mudflats, estuaries, and tidal marshes, which offer abundant feeding opportunities. The Long-billed Curlew can be found at elevations ranging from sea level up to 2,000 meters, though it predominantly occupies lowland areas. While primarily associated with rural landscapes, it occasionally ventures into suburban settings where suitable open spaces exist. Seasonal movements lead to temporary presence in various habitats during migration.

Geographic Range

The breeding range of the Long-billed Curlew extends across the central and western United States, with significant populations in states such as Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, reaching as far north as Alberta, Canada. This extensive range includes the Great Plains and intermontane valleys, where suitable grassland habitats abound.

During migration, the curlew follows a southward path through the central and western United States to wintering grounds along the Pacific and Gulf coasts. Key wintering areas include California, Texas, and Mexico, where the birds frequent coastal marshes and mudflats. This species exhibits a fairly direct migration pattern, with some individuals traveling over 1,500 kilometers between breeding and wintering sites.

Population density is highest in regions like the Great Basin and the Central Valley of California during the winter months. While the Long-billed Curlew is not uniformly found throughout its range, its presence is notably concentrated in areas with ample feeding and nesting resources.

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What Does the Long-billed Curlew Eat?

The Long-billed Curlew primarily feeds on invertebrates, with a preference for insects and crustaceans. Its long bill is particularly adapted for probing deep into the ground or mud to extract prey such as grasshoppers, beetles, and crabs. During the breeding season, it frequents grassy areas where it forages for terrestrial invertebrates, using its bill to probe the soil or turn over cow dung in search of hidden insects.

In coastal wintering regions, its diet shifts to include marine invertebrates. The curlew employs a tactile foraging technique, using its sensitive bill to detect and capture prey beneath the surface. Prey size can vary considerably, from small insects to larger crabs and mollusks. The bird typically forages during daylight hours, often in the early morning and late afternoon when prey is most active.

Seasonal changes in diet reflect the availability of prey in different habitats. In winter, the curlew's diet becomes more protein-rich as it consumes larger, energy-dense marine organisms.

Long-billed Curlew Behavior and Social Structure

Long-billed Curlews exhibit a solitary or loosely social behavior pattern outside the breeding season. During the breeding period, they are more territorial, with males performing display flights and vocalizations to establish dominance and attract mates. These displays include a series of aerial loops and dives accompanied by melodious calls.

Curlews are ground nesters, and both sexes participate in nest building and incubation. They exhibit strong site fidelity, often returning to the same breeding grounds annually. When threatened, adults employ distraction displays to lure predators away from nests, feigning injury with exaggerated wing movements.

Outside the breeding season, curlews form loose flocks, particularly in coastal wintering areas. Their response to predators includes group alarm calls and coordinated flights. Daily activity patterns are largely diurnal, with feeding concentrated during cooler early morning and late afternoon periods.

Long-billed Curlew Nesting and Reproduction

Long-billed Curlews construct simple ground nests in open grasslands, preferring sites with good visibility to detect approaching threats. The nest is a shallow scrape lined with grasses and other local vegetation. Clutch size ranges from 3 to 5 eggs, which are pale with brown speckling.

Both parents share incubation duties over a period of approximately 27 to 30 days. After hatching, the chicks are precocial, leaving the nest shortly after birth and foraging independently under parental guidance. The fledging period lasts about 45 days, during which time the young curlews develop their flight capabilities.

Long-billed Curlews typically produce one brood per year, although re-nesting may occur if the initial clutch fails. Parental roles involve both protection and feeding guidance, with a strong emphasis on teaching young birds to forage effectively.

Long-billed Curlew Sounds and Vocalizations

The Long-billed Curlew produces a distinctive, melodious song characterized by a series of rising and falling notes, often described as a bubbling trill. This song serves as a primary communication tool during the breeding season, used by males to establish territories and attract mates.

Call notes vary from sharp, high-pitched whistles to softer, more conversational tones exchanged between mates. Alarm calls are more abrupt and piercing, designed to alert other birds to potential danger. In the early morning, their calls punctuate the dawn chorus, contributing to the soundscape of grassland environments.

These vocalizations, while unique, can be reminiscent of calls produced by other shorebirds, yet the curlew's greater length and tonal variation make them distinctive.

Interesting Facts About the Long-billed Curlew

1The Long-billed Curlew's bill can be nearly a third of its body length, making it the longest of any shorebird in North America.
2Curlews can detect prey by touch, using specialized nerve endings in their bill to sense movements of invertebrates underground.
3During breeding season, males perform dramatic aerial displays, reaching heights of up to 30 meters before diving with wings tucked in.
4Long-billed Curlews have been observed using their bills to turn over cow dung, revealing insects hiding underneath.
5In winter, curlews may form mixed-species flocks with other shorebirds, enhancing foraging efficiency and predator detection.
6The species' name, Numenius, derives from Greek, meaning 'new moon,' a reference to the crescent-shaped bill.
7Despite their size, Long-billed Curlews are capable of rapid, agile flight, covering vast distances during migration.

Long-billed Curlew Conservation Status

The IUCN currently lists the Long-billed Curlew as Near Threatened, with populations experiencing a gradual decline. Habitat loss, particularly the conversion of grasslands to agriculture, poses a significant threat to their breeding grounds. Coastal habitat degradation also impacts wintering populations. Conservation efforts focus on habitat protection and restoration, with initiatives to preserve large tracts of native grasslands and coastal wetlands. Historical population declines have been mitigated somewhat by increased awareness and management strategies. Despite these efforts, the Long-billed Curlew remains vulnerable to ongoing habitat changes and requires continued conservation action to ensure its survival in the face of expanding agricultural and urban development.