The curlews (/ ˈ k ɜːr lj uː /) are a group of nine species of birds in the genus Numenius, characterised by their long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. The English name is imitative of the Eurasian curlew's call, but may have been influenced by the Old French corliu, "messenger", from courir , "to run".

Large, long-legged shorebird with a very long, thin curved bill. It has a heavy football-shaped body, a long neck, and a small round head. Larger than a Whimbrel, smaller than a Great Egret. Speckled and barred in browns above with a pale cinnamon …

Feb 10, 2025 · Curlew, any of numerous medium-sized or large shorebirds belonging to the genus Numenius (family Scolopacidae) and having a bill that is decurved, or sickle-shaped, curving downward at the tip. Learn more about curlews, including the eight different species.

This incredibly long-billed sandpiper is the largest of our shorebirds; but more often than not, it is seen away from the shore. It spends the summer on the grasslands of the arid west, appearing on coastal mudflats only in migration and winter, and even then likely to be on prairies instead.

The curlews are the largest members of the shorebird group. These birds and the Whimbrel are identified by their long downturned bills and grey coloured legs.

Curlews are a small group of sandpipers, all of which are in the Numenius genus. Researchers recognize eight different species of Curlew, the slender-billed, bristle-thighed, Eurasian, Eskimo, long-billed, little, and Far Eastern Curlew, and the whimbrel. All eight species have long, skinny beaks that curve slightly downward.

Aug 1, 2017 · The birds breed throughout the subarctic regions of Asia, Europe, and North America and winter in South America, southern North America, South Asia, Africa, and Oceania. The birds are 37 to 47 cm long and have a grayish-brown plumage with a white rump and back.

The Curlew is the largest European wading bird, found on estuaries in winter and moors in summer. Look for its down-curved bill, brown upperparts, long legs and listen for its evocative, bubbling, call.

The eye-catching Long-billed Curlew is North America's largest shorebird, but like the Mountain Plover and Buff-breasted Sandpiper, it's very often found away from the shore.

The curlew is a very large, tall wader, about the same size as a female pheasant. Its haunting display call ('cur-lee') is unmistakable and can be heard from February through to July on its breeding grounds - wet grasslands, farmland, heath and moorlands.