TheEurasian curlew orcommon curlew (Numenius arquata) is a very largewader in thefamilyScolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of thecurlews, breeding across temperateEurope andAsia. In Europe, thisspecies is often referred to just as the "curlew", and inScotland known as the "whaup" inScots.
The Eurasian curlew wasformally described by the Swedish naturalistCarl Linnaeus in 1758 in thetenth edition of hisSystema Naturae under thebinomial nameScolopax arquata.[2] It is now placed with eight other curlews in thegenusNumenius that was introduced by the French ornithologistMathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760.[3][4] The genus nameNumenius is fromAncient Greekνουμήνιος,noumēnios, a bird mentioned byHesychius. It is associated with the curlew because it appears to be derived fromneos, "new" andmene "moon", referring to the crescent-shaped bill. The species namearquata is theMedieval Latin name for this bird, derived fromLatinarcuatus, "bow-shaped", and again referring to the shape of the bill.[5]
The English name "curlew" is imitative of the Eurasian curlew's call, but may have been influenced by theOld Frenchcorliu, "messenger", fromcourir, "to run". It was first recorded in 1377 inLangland'sPiers Plowman "Fissch to lyue in þe flode..Þe corlue by kynde of þe eyre".[6]
The Eurasian curlew is the largest wader in its range, at 50–60 cm (20–24 in) in length, with an 89–106 cm (35–42 in) wingspan and a body weight of 410–1,360 g (0.90–3.00 lb).[7] It is mainly greyish brown, with a white back, greyish-blue legs and a very long curved bill. Males and females look identical, but the bill is longest in the adult female. It is generally not possible to recognize the sex of a single Eurasian curlew, or even several ones, as there is much variation; telling male and female of a mated pair apart is usually possible however. The familiar call is a loudcurloo-oo.
The only similar species over most of the curlew's range is theEurasian whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus). The whimbrel is smaller and has a shorterbill with a kink rather than a smooth curve. Flying curlews may also resemblebar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica) in their winter plumages; however, the latter have a smaller body, a slightly upturned beak, and legs that do not reach far beyond their tail tips. The Eurasian curlew's feet are longer, forming a conspicuous "point".
The curlew exists as amigratory species over most of its range, wintering inAfrica, southernEurope and southAsia. Occasionally a vagrant individual reaches places far from its normal range, such asNova Scotia[8] and theMarianas.[9][10] It is present all year in the milder climates ofIreland and the United Kingdom and its adjacent European coasts.
Reclamation and drainage of marshy fields andmoorland, and afforestation of the latter, have led to local decreases, while conversion offorest tograssland in some parts ofScandinavia has led to increases there.[11]
Thenest is a bare scrape in meadow or similar habitats. The clutch size of the curlew consists of four eggs which are laid in April or May, and both adults incubate them for four weeks until they begin to hatch. It has been observed that curlews tend to nest close tocommon kestrels' nests, as they can offer protection from other predators, such ascorvids, even though kestrels also prey on curlew nests.[12]
The Eurasian curlew feeds by probing soft mud for smallinvertebrates, but will also pick smallcrabs andearthworms from the surface if the opportunity arises.
Eurasian curlews eggs are preyed on by foxes and predatory birds.[13] In addition sheep have been recorded by the BBC nature seriesSpringwatch preying on the eggs.[14][15]
The Eurasian curlew was formerly listed as a species ofLeast Concern by theIUCN, owing to its expansive range and relatively large population. However, the population of the Eurasian curlew was noticed to be declining at a very rapid rate. Following the evaluation of its population trend, the classification was found to be outdated, and it was consequently promoted toNear Threatened status in 2008. Though it is a common bird, its numbers are noticeably declining,[1] particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland, which have about a quarter of the global population. In the twenty years up to 2016, the population is estimated to have declined by more than 50% in England and Scotland, more than 80% in Wales, and more than 90% in Ireland. At the end of 2015 it was placed on the United Kingdom's red list of most endangered bird species.[16] The curlew is one of the species to which theAgreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.[17]
Research by scientists at theBritish Trust for Ornithology suggests that curlew populations in the UK have been negatively affected in areas with high levels of arable farming andafforestation which have reduced its natural habitats of open grasslands.[18]
^Brisson, Mathurin Jacques (1760).Ornithologie, ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, especes & leurs variétés (in French and Latin). Vol. 1. Paris: Jean-Baptiste Bauche.Vol. 1, p. 48,Vol. 5, p. 311.
^Dunning, John B. Jr., ed. (1992).CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses. CRC Press.ISBN978-0-8493-4258-5.
^"Eurasian Curlew".Birds of Nova Scotia. Natural History Museum of Nova Scotia (NHMNS). 1998. Archived fromthe original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved23 May 2008.
^Wiles, Gary J.; Johnson, Nathan C.; de Cruz, Justine B.; Dutson, Guy; Camacho, Vicente A.; Kepler, Angela Kay; Vice, Daniel S.; Garrett, Kimball L.; Kessler, Curt C.; Pratt, H. Douglas (2004)."New and Noteworthy Bird Records for Micronesia, 1986–2003".Micronesica.37 (1):69–96. Archived fromthe original on 2009-05-05.
^Encyclopedia of the Animal World (1977): Vol.6: 518–519. Bay Books, Sydney.
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