About the Far Eastern Curlew
The Far Eastern curlew is a large wader most similar in appearance to the long-billed curlew, but slightly larger. It is mostly brown, differentiated from other curlews by its plain, unpatterned brown underwing, and brown rump. It is not only the largest curlew but probably the world's largest sandpiper, at 60–66 cm (24–26 in) in length and 110 cm (43 in) across the wings. The weight is 390–1,350 g (0.86–2.98 lb), which is equalled by the Eurasian curlew; females are on average about 100 g heavier than males. The extremely long bill, at 12.8–20.1 cm (5.0–7.9 in) in length, rivals the bill size of the closely related long-billed curlew as the longest bill for a sandpiper. It overlaps in…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Canada, Micronesia, Guam.
When to see it
Peak activity in October · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Little CurlewNumenius minutusIt is mainly greyish-brown, including the underwings, with a white belly, and a short, for a curlew, curved bill.
Bristle-thighed CurlewNumenius tahitiensisThe bristle-thighed curlew has a long, decurved bill and bristled feathers at the base of the legs.
Hudsonian WhimbrelNumenius hudsonicusThis is a fairly large wader, though mid-sized as a member of the curlew genus.
Learn the Far Eastern Curlew for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.