In this article, we will look at the life cycle of the Curlew, including their flight speed, how they build nests, and the journey of their chicks to fledging. Continue reading to find out more.

Like many wading birds, Curlews lay their eggs in a nest on the ground known as a ‘scrape’. The parents incubate the eggs for about four weeks, before the young leave the nest and roam around with their parents for a further four weeks until fledging.

Find out how to find curlew and observe their nests and breeding behaviour from a safe distance throughout the breeding season.

A nesting site: Curlew will not nest in heavily stocked fields. They nest on flat ground, drier than the ground that they forage in and usually away from tall trees and shrubs that harbour predators. Curlew are faithful to their nesting sites.

May 21, 2024 · Curlew Cam is the very first live Curlew nest camera, set up originally in 2017 by Curlew Country. We have continued to stream Curlew Cam each year since, offering a rare glimpse into the nesting habits of these secretive British wading birds.

A curlew usually lays up to four eggs, but fewer eggs may be laid, particularly if birds are older or the nest is a second attempt replacing an earlier loss. The nests are usually fairly difficult to find. Curlew are territorial birds and very secretive of their nest sites, landing a long way from them and walking through long grass to try and

Lifecycle and body size information about Curlew, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Nov 25, 2019 · Sites where the ground is covered with leaves, twigs, sticks, stones or sparse grass are preferred for nesting since curlews rely on camouflaged eggs and cryptic plumage to avoid predators. Curlews protect themselves by combining natural camouflage with good visibility to see predators approaching.

Unless experienced in the subtleties of Curlew demeanour, nest finders will just get feeding behaviour when they could in fact be keeping a bird from returning to a nest. Recognising feeding and false feeding is of great benefit at this time.

Finding curlew nests can be a tough job, as they become very secretive when nesting; quietly sneaking away through the long vegetation to sit stock still on their highly camouflaged eggs.