Birds
Long-Billed Curlew
Numenius americanus · also called long-billed curlews
Along a coastal mudflat, a long-billed curlew sinks its extraordinary bill deep into a curving burrow, reaching a crab that a shorter-billed shorebird working the same stretch of sand would never have a chance of finding, let alone catching.
Overview
The long-billed curlew, Numenius americanus, is a large shorebird that breeds on shortgrass prairie across the interior western United States and southern Canada and winters along coastal mudflats from the southern United States through Central America. Its extraordinarily long, downward-curving bill, the longest of any North American shorebird, makes it one of the more physically distinctive and specialised waders on the continent.
A bill built to reach what others can’t
While most shorebirds probe shallow sand and mud, the long-billed curlew’s exceptional reach opens up an entirely deeper layer of prey, turning burrows that would defeat shorter-billed relatives into a reliable, exclusive food source.
Status
Least Concern, though decreasing — present across suitable grassland breeding habitat in the interior western United States and southern Canada, with declines linked to prairie conversion to farmland.
Long-Billed Curlew: common questions
Why does the long-billed curlew have such a long, curved bill?
A long-billed curlew has the longest bill of any North American shorebird, curving noticeably downward, an adaptation that lets it reach deep into narrow, curving burrows dug by crabs and other invertebrates, accessing prey buried far beyond the reach of shorter-billed shorebirds sharing the same habitat.
Do male and female long-billed curlews look different?
Yes, a female long-billed curlew typically has a noticeably longer bill than a male of the same species, a size difference that is unusual among most shorebirds and can sometimes help distinguish the sexes in the field.
Why has the long-billed curlew declined in some areas?
A long-billed curlew has experienced population declines linked to the conversion of native shortgrass prairie breeding habitat to agricultural land, reducing the open grassland nesting sites the species depends on across the interior western United States and southern Canada.
Where does the long-billed curlew live?
The long-billed curlew breeds on shortgrass prairie and grassland across the interior western United States and southern Canada, then migrates to winter along coastal mudflats, beaches, and estuaries from the southern United States through Central America.