Curlew

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Numenius arquata


What to look for:
This is our largest wading bird, with an easily recognised long downward curved bill. Both sexes are similar, having predominantly brown streaked plumage, with a lighter underbelly. Females have longer bills.

In spring the males make a haunting bubbling call in stiff winged gliding display flights. The nest is usually in high vegetation on wet ground. Both adults take turns to incubate the two or three eggs. When the young hatch they have short beaks and look unrelated to the adults. They are precocious and feed themselves on insects, but accept earthworms offered by the attentive adults. Their beaks grow until they are in proportion at adult size.  

When to see:
For much of the year in Scotland, curlews are found along major estuaries, such as the Dee and the Solway Firth. Between April and June curlews are more often seen inland in the southern uplands of Dumfries and Galloway and in the Eastern Highlands.

Where to see it:
In Scotland curlews are usually seen on unimproved wetland and on wetter upland grassland in summer, as well as near estuarine mudflats. Otherwise they are found along coastal beaches and beside estuaries during the rest of the year.

Things to think about:
Curlews have been declining in numbers compared to other wading bird, such as lapwing and oystercatchers. They seem to need locally wetter conditions when they are raising their young.



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