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 …

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.

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. There are eight species. Curlews are streaked, gray or brown birds with long necks and fairly long legs.

North America's largest shorebird, the Long-billed Curlew, is a graceful creature with an almost impossibly long, thin, and curved bill. This speckled, cinnamon-washed shorebird probes deep into mud and sand for aquatic invertebrates on its coastal wintering grounds and picks up grasshoppers on the breeding grounds.

The long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus) is a large North American shorebird of the family Scolopacidae. This species was also called "sicklebird" [2] and the "candlestick bird". The species breeds in central and western North America, migrating southward and coastward for the winter.

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.

Long-billed Curlews eat insects, marine crustaceans, and bottom-dwelling marine invertebrates. The remarkably long, downcurved bill allows curlews to forage for earthworms and other deep-burrowing prey such as shrimp and crabs.

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.

Huge shorebird with incredibly long, decurved bill. Buffy overall with brighter cinnamon wings, especially obvious in flight. Occurs in open fields, marshes, and beaches in western North America; can be seen singly or in flocks.