| Eurasian Whimbrel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Scolopacidae |
| Genus: | Numenius |
| Species: | Numenius phaeopus |
The Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) is a wader in the family Scolopacidae. The Hudsonian Whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus), once considered a subspecies of this bird, is now generally recognized as a full species.
Description[]
Large for a wader, but medium-sized for a curlew, the Eurasian Whimbrel is 40-46 cm long with a 76-89 cm wingspan. Its plumage is cryptic, streaked, mostly grey-brow except for the whitish belly and white rump. The latter is absent in the Hudsonian Whimbrel. Unlike the larger Eurasian Curlew, which has a rather plain head, the Eurasian Whimbrel has a distinct head pattern with dark eye-stripes and crown-sides. Its bill, black in colour, is shorter and more evidently curved than the Curlew's. Its legs are grey.
Voice[]
Its call is a series of loud, trilling whistles on one note, sung in quick succession.
Behaviour[]
Generally solitary when nesting, the Whimbrel tends to become gregarious outside of the breeding season. It spends much of its time feeding on the ground, and despite its cryptic plumage, its presence can be detected thanks to its loud call and habit of singing on top of rocks and other elevated perches.
Feeding[]
Its diet is made up mostly of aquatic invertebrates, but also of land insects and berries. Crabs are an important source of food, especially in the bird's wintering grounds. After catching a crab, the Whimbrel shakes it to remove its claws and legs, and then swallows the body.
Breeding[]
The Eurasian Whimbrel breeds from late May to early June. The displaying male gives his trilling call in flight and then glides down to the ground. The nest is located on the ground, in a depression lined with dried grass, built by the female who then lays about four cream-coloured eggs with dark spots and proceeds to incubate them for about three weeks. The chicks, precocial, begin to follow their mother around as soon as they hatch. They fledge at four weeks of age.
Distribution and habitat[]
The Eurasian Whimbrel breeds on moors, tundras, beaches and brackish marshes in the subarctic regions of Europe and Siberia. A long-distance migrator, it winters in sub-Saharan Africa and may frequent rocky coasts during migration.