From Opus

Revision as of 20:40, 3 August 2007

Numenius americanus

Photo by stejon

Identification

Location Florida

Length: 19 inches. Very large, long-necked, small-headed shorebird. Brownish rump and barred tail. Cinnamon wing linings. White eyering, dusky eyeline. Sexes similar. Adult: Very long, decurved bill. Pale buff head and neck faintly streaked with darker brown. Buff brown underparts with sparse dark streaking on flanks. Dark back with pale edges and notches to feathers. Dark brown outer wing contrasts with paler inner wing in flight. Juvenile: Much shorter bill, often with less downward curve.

Distribution

West-central North America. They are short distance bird migrants and winter along coasts in the southern United States south to Mexico.

Taxonomy

Habitat

Grasslands and open prairie

Behaviour

Nests are located on the ground in open prairie. The female usually lays 4 eggs. Both parents look after the young. These birds forage in fields, picking up food by sight, also by probing. They mainly eat insects, but also eat crustaceans in coastal areas.

The population was significantly reduced at the end of the 19th century by hunting. Numbers have rebounded somewhat in more recent times.

External Links

• View more images of Long-billed Curlew in the gallery