Birds Active day and night

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

The Eurasian Curlew is the undisputed monarch of the marshlands, instantly recognizable by its elegant, scimitar-shaped bill and its wild, bubbling cry. As Europe's largest wading bird, it serves as a sentinel of our wetlands, bridging the gap between the rugged uplands and the shifting tides of the coast.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length: 50–60 cm (20–24 in); Wingspan: 80–100 cm (31–39 in); Weight: 410–1,360 g (0.9–3.0 lb)

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Colors

Mottled grayish-brown and buff with dark streaks; distinct white rump and lower back visible in flight; long, dark, down-curved bill with a pinkish base on the lower mandible.

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Key Features

Exceptionally long, downward-curving bill (up to 19cm)
Large, streaked brown body with a bright white rump patch
Long, slender blue-grey legs
Evocative, bubbling 'cur-lee' vocalization

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active day and night

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Peak hours Tide-dependent in coastal areas; most vocal at dawn and dusk during breeding season

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Season March-August (Breeding inland); September-February (Coastal wintering)

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Diet A versatile carnivore that probes deep into mud or soft soil for earthworms, lugworms, and polychaete worms. They also eat crabs, mollusks, insects like beetles, and occasionally small fish, amphibians, or even berries during the autumn.

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Habitat Breeds in damp upland moors, bogs, and rough grasslands; winters on coastal mudflats, estuaries, and saltmarshes.

Behavior

The Eurasian Curlew is a highly social bird outside of the breeding season, often forming large, vocal flocks on coastal mudflats and estuaries. They are famous for their haunting, melodic 'bubbling' call, which is one of the most iconic sounds of the British and European countryside. During the breeding season, they become more territorial, performing elaborate aerial displays to defend their nesting sites in damp moorlands and grasslands.

When foraging, the Curlew is a master of the 'probe and pull' technique. Its sensitive bill allows it to detect prey deep underground without seeing it. While generally wary of humans and quick to sound a loud alarm call that alerts all other wildlife in the vicinity, they can become somewhat accustomed to predictable human presence in agricultural areas, provided they are not approached directly.

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Camera Tips

To capture a Eurasian Curlew on camera, placement is everything. If you live near a coastal area or an inland wetland, position your camera at the very edge of the water or near 'soft' mud patches where you see probe holes. Because these birds have long legs and a tall profile, set your camera on a low tripod or mount it about 12 to 18 inches off the ground, angled slightly upward. This captures the impressive curve of the bill and the detail of their plumage against the sky or water.

Curlews are highly sensitive to movement and 'new' objects in their environment. If you are placing a trail camera in a field or on a marsh, use a camera with a high-quality camouflage housing and try to place it near a natural feature like a clump of rushes or a fence post to break up its silhouette. Since they are active during the day and night (often feeding by moonlight on the coast), ensure your camera has a 'no-glow' or 'low-glow' infrared flash to avoid spooking them during nocturnal foraging sessions.

Using bait is generally not recommended for Curlews as they prefer live, deep-buried prey. Instead, focus on 'bottleneck' locations. Look for narrow channels in saltmarshes or specific damp depressions in grazing fields where they congregate to feed. In the spring, they are very vocal; if your camera has a sound-triggering or high-quality video mode, you can capture their incredible bubbling song. Set a fast shutter speed if your camera allows, as their movements while probing can be jerky and quick, leading to motion blur in low light.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Eurasian Curlew.

Whimbrel

Smaller with a shorter bill and distinctive dark 'eyebrow' and crown stripes.

Bar-tailed Godwit

Has a slightly up-curved or straight bill, unlike the Curlew's distinct down-curve.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Their activity depends on their location. On the coast, they follow the tides, feeding when the mudflats are exposed regardless of whether it is day or night. Inland, they are most active during daylight hours, with peaks of vocal activity at dawn and dusk.

Curlews rarely visit typical suburban gardens. However, if your property borders wet meadows, moorlands, or estuaries, maintaining boggy areas and avoiding the use of pesticides (which kills their invertebrate food source) will make your land more attractive to them.

They are specialist feeders using their long bills to reach deep-dwelling invertebrates. Their diet includes earthworms, lugworms, crabs, shrimps, and various soil-dwelling insects and larvae.

No, they are generally birds of wide-open landscapes. They may be seen flying over suburban areas during migration, or feeding in large agricultural fields on the outskirts of towns, but they require large, undisturbed spaces for nesting.

The Eurasian Curlew is larger with a significantly longer, more evenly curved bill. The Whimbrel has a shorter bill with a more abrupt 'kink' at the end and possesses distinct dark stripes on its crown, which the Curlew lacks.

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