| Far Eastern curlew | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Scolopacidae |
| Genus: | Numenius |
| Species: | N. madagascariensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Numenius madagascariensis (Linnaeus, 1766) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Scolopax madagascariensisLinnaeus, 1766 | |
TheFar Eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) is a largewader most similar in appearance to thelong-billed curlew, but slightly larger. It is mostly brown, differentiated from othercurlews by its plain, unpatterned brown underwing, and brown rump. It is not only the largest curlew but probably the world's largestsandpiper, at 60–66 cm (24–26 in) in length and 110 cm (43 in) across the wings.[3] The weight is 390–1,350 g (0.86–2.98 lb), which is equalled by theEurasian curlew; females are on average about 100 g heavier than males.[4] 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.[3] It overlaps in range with the eastern subspecies of the Eurasian curlewNumenius arquata orientalis, from which it is most easily told by its brown rump and lower back, rather than white.[3]
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In 1760 the French zoologistMathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the Far Eastern curlew in hisOrnithologie based on a specimen. He used the French nameLe courly de Madagascar and the LatinNumenius madagascariensis.[5] Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to thebinomial system and are not recognised by theInternational Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.[6] When in 1766 the Swedish naturalistCarl Linnaeus updated hisSystema Naturae for thetwelfth edition, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson.[6] One of these was the Far Eastern curlew, for which he coined thebinomial nameScolopax madagascariensis.[7] The namemadagascariensis, referring toMadagascar, was an error by Brisson, with thetype locality now known to have beenMakassar on Sulawesi, Indonesia, where it winters; the species has never been recorded in Madagascar.[4]
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The Far Eastern curlew spends its breeding season in northeastern Asia, includingSiberia toKamchatka, andMongolia. Its breeding habitat is composed of marshy and swampy wetlands and lakeshores. Most individuals spend the non-breeding season in coastalAustralia, with some wintering inIndonesia,Thailand,Philippines andNew Zealand, where they stay atestuaries, beaches, andsalt marshes; a few winter as far north as southernChina andTaiwan.[4] During its migration the Far Eastern curlew commonly makes stopovers on the mudflats of theYellow Sea and some on the coasts ofJapan.[4]
It uses its long, decurved bill to probe for invertebrates in the mud. It may feed in solitary but it generally congregates in large flocks to migrate or roost. Its call is a sharp, clear whistle,cuuue-reee, often repeated.
On its breeding grounds the Far Eastern curlew consumes insects, such as larvae of beetles and flies, and amphipods. During migration it also feeds on berries. In the non-breeding season, it consumes marine invertebrates, preferring crabs and small molluscs but also taking other crustaceans and polychaetes.[1]
As of 2006, there are an estimated 38,000 individuals in the world. Formerly classified as least concern by IUCN, it was found to have been rarer than previously believed and thus its status was uplisted to "vulnerable" in the 2010 IUCN Red List of threatened species.[1]
In Australia its status under theEnvironment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act is "critically endangered".[8]
Its population decline has been linked[9] to the massive tidal flat reclamations by China, North Korea and South Korea along the coasts of theYellow Sea, which have caused a greater than 65% loss of mudflats[10] where the Far Eastern curlew makes stopovers.[9]
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