Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Slender-billed Curlew

Numenius tenuirostris

The Slender-billed Curlew, Numenius tenuirostris, is a small member of the wader family Scolopacidae. With a length of 36–41 cm and a wingspan of 77–88 cm, it is comparable in size to the Eurasian Whimbrel. The species exhibits a greyish brown plumage above with a whitish rump and lower back during the breeding season. Its underparts are white, heavily streaked with dark brown, and the flanks are adorned with round or heart-shaped spots. In non-breeding plumage, the bird retains a similar appearance but with fewer spots on the flanks. Both sexes share the same plumage, though females possess longer bills than males, reducing competition for food.

Identification Tips

Distinguishing the Slender-billed Curlew from similar species relies on several key features. It is whiter on the breast, tail, and underwing compared to the Eurasian Curlew, and its bill is shorter, more slender, and slightly straighter at the base. The head pattern includes a dark cap and a whitish supercilium, reminiscent of the Whimbrel, though the Slender-billed Curlew lacks the central crown stripe and has a less distinct overall pattern. The most reliable identification markers are the uniformly dark underside of the outer primaries, darker legs (black in adults), and a white tail with fewer dark bars.

Habitat

The Slender-billed Curlew historically bred in the forest bogs of Siberia, though its exact nesting grounds have remained a mystery since the last documented nest in 1924.

Distribution

This curlew was known to breed in a limited area north of Omsk, Russia, and primarily migrated to the Mediterranean and southern Arabia for wintering. It has been recorded as a vagrant in various locations including western Europe, the Canary Islands, the Azores, Oman, Canada, and Japan.

Behaviour

The Slender-billed Curlew's breeding biology is largely unknown, but observed nests typically contained four eggs. It feeds by probing soft mud for invertebrates and occasionally picking items from the surface. Historically, it was highly sociable outside the breeding season, often associating with related species like the Eurasian Curlew.

Song & Calls

The species emits a "cour-lee" call, akin to the Eurasian Curlew but higher-pitched, more melodic, and shorter. Its alarm call is a rapid "cu-ee."

Breeding

The last confirmed nest was found in 1924 near Tara, Omsk oblast, Siberia. The current status of its breeding is unknown.

Similar Species

The Slender-billed Curlew can be confused with the Eurasian Curlew and the Whimbrel, but careful observation of its distinctive markings and bill shape can aid in correct identification.

Diet and Feeding

Its diet consists of small invertebrates, which it locates by probing mud with its bill. It is also known to feed on other small items when available.

Conservation Status

The Slender-billed Curlew is classified as Critically Endangered and is feared to be extinct, with the last confirmed sighting in 2004. The decline is attributed to excessive hunting and habitat loss, particularly in its wintering grounds. Despite extensive searches, the current breeding status and population dynamics remain uncertain.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Slender-billed Curlews on Birda

Photos

More Sandpipers, Snipes

A photo of a Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
Chudbond
Love Birda
I love this app. It really encourages you to log your sightings and the community is friendly and helpful.
Abi.M
Awesome App
I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Bryan C
Clean and easy to use
Really enjoying this app, it's clean and easy to use. I love the ease of being able to add those one-off birds without starting a whole checklist. I also like the social aspect, like the parts of my Facebook I like, without the ads and junk, just birds. Can't wait to see it become more populated.
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.