Long-billed Curlew Numenius americanus
San Francisco, California. 02 January 2006

The Long-billed Curlew is the largest shorebird, and the most southerly breeding curlew, in North America. Two subspecies occur in North America: those occurring in Canada (parvus) are smaller and have shorter bills than their southern nominate counterparts which are found only in the United States. Once abundant over most of the prairie regions of the United States and Canada, populations of the Long-billed Curlew have declined throughout most of the species’ breeding range since the early 1900s as a result of both overhunting and habitat loss. While habitat loss is now the greatest threat to the Long-billed Curlew, there is also the problem of increasing risk from predators: habitat fragmentation creates easier access to the curlews and their eggs for the increasing number of Coyotes and other predators (including Black-billed Magpies and Bullsnakes).

The breeding habitat of Long-billed Curlews is typically described as shortgrass or mixedgrass native prairie but varies from moist meadows to very dry grasslands. Within certain parameters, curlews appear to be somewhat flexible in their breeding habitat preferences. In general, Long-billed Curlews prefer to nest in areas with large open expanses of relatively low vegetation. Foraging efforts are hampered in years in which weather conditions result in abundant thick, standing-dead vegetation.

The core of the winter range of the Long-billed Curlew is in Mexico and the southwestern states of California, Texas, and Louisiana, but they are also found in small numbers as far south as Costa Rica, and as far north as North Carolina in the US. During the breeding season, it can be found from northern Texas eastward to central Nebraska and west to central Oregon and Nevada. Its range continues northwards into southern Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia in Canada.

There is very little difference in the field between adults and juveniles - and even the breeding and non-breeding plumages are similar. On bill-length this individual should be a female - males’ bills are comparatively short, averaging 139mm, whilst the females average around 170mm (note the “drop” shape of the bill tip incidentally, which is very typical of this species).

For more information on the Long-billed Curlew:

• www.abheritage.ca/abnature/speciesatrisk/curlew_intro.htm” (Alberta, Canada)
• www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca (Canada)

All photos copyright Charlie Moores