TheEurasian orcommon whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), also known as thewhite-rumped whimbrel in North America, is awader in the large familyScolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of thecurlews, breeding across much ofsubarcticAsia andEurope as far south asScotland. This species and theHudsonian whimbrel have recently been split, although some taxonomic authorities still consider them to be conspecific.
The Eurasian whimbrel wasformally described by the Swedish naturalistCarl Linnaeus in 1758 in thetenth edition of hisSystema Naturae under thebinomial nameScolopax phaeopus.[2] It is now placed with the curlews in thegenusNumenius that was introduced by the French ornithologistMathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760.[3][4] The genus nameNumenius is fromAncient Greeknoumenios, a bird mentioned byHesychius. It is associated with the curlews because it appears to be derived fromneos, "new" andmene "moon", referring to the crescent-shaped bill. The specific epithetphaeopus is theMedieval Latin name for the bird, fromAncient Greekphaios, "dusky" andpous, "foot".[5] The English name "whimbrel" is imitative of the bird's call.[6]
N. p. phaeopus (European whimbrel[10]) (Linnaeus, 1758) –nominate, breeds fromNorway to north centralSiberia; winters in Africa and south and southeast Asia
N. p. alboaxillarisLowe, 1921 – breeds from westernKazakhstan to southwestern Siberia (rare, endangered); winters in south and east Asia
N. p. rogachevae Tomkovich, 2008 – breeds in north central Siberia; winters in east Africa and west India
N. p. variegatus (Scopoli, 1786) – breeds in northeastern Siberia; winters in India to Australia
TheHudsonian curlew (Numenius hudsonicus) was formerly considered to beconspecific. The two species were split based on genetic and plumage differences.[4][11]
The common whimbrel was traditionally considered a sub-cosmopolitan bird, breeding in Russia and Canada, then migrating to coasts all around the world to spend the winter. However the North American population of whimbrels was considered distinct enough to be considered a separate species from the common whimbrel.[12] In 2020, the New World population was recognised as a separate species, with the whimbrel in North America being assigned to the binomial nameNumenius hudsonicus.
Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) flying inIndia, with the distinctive white rump visibleA whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) inNewfoundland,Canada. The rump is similar to the rest of the body in patterning
Whilst very similar at an initial glance, there are several features that distinguish whimbrel species in the Old and New World. In appearance, the New World species has a more “faded” appearance, with differences in the supercilium and crown. By far the most significant difference may be seen in the lower half of the bird. Whimbrels in Europe and Asia have a primarily white rump that can be seen in flight, while whimbrel in the New World have a rump similar in colour to the rest of the bird - drab brown with dark streaking.[13] As a result, whimbrel on vagrancy trips to North America may be known as the “white-rumped whimbrel”, while whimbrel vagrants from North America to Europe may be known as “Hudsonian whimbrel”.
When the context of their location is known, both species may be simply known as the whimbrel.
The Eurasian whimbrel is a fairly large wader, though mid-sized as a member of the curlew genus. It is 37–47 cm (15–19 in) in length, 75–90 cm (30–35 in) in wingspan, and 270–493 g (9.5–17.4 oz; 0.595–1.087 lb) in weight.[14] It is mainly greyish brown, with a white back and rump (subspeciesN. p. phaeopus andN. p. alboaxillaris only), and a long curvedbeak with a kink rather than a smooth curve. The usualcall is a rippling whistle, prolonged into a trill for the song. The only similar common species over most of this bird's range are larger curlews. The whimbrel is smaller, has a shorter, decurved bill and has a central crown stripe and strong supercilia.[citation needed]
The nest is a bare scrape ontundra or Arctic moorland. Three to five eggs are laid. Adults are very defensive of nesting area and will even attack humans who come too close.
This species feeds by probing soft mud for smallinvertebrates and by picking smallcrabs and similar prey off the surface. Before migration, berries become an important part of their diet. It has also been observed taking insects, specificallyblue tiger butterflies[16]
^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.
^Carneiro, C.; Gunnarsson, T. G.; Alves, J. A. (2019). "Faster migration in autumn than in spring: seasonal migration patterns and non-breeding distribution of Icelandic whimbrels".Journal of Avian Biology.50 (1).doi:10.1111/jav.01938.
