The Long-billed Curlew is North America’s largest shorebird. It also holds the world record for the longest billed bird compared to body size. It uses its bill to dig deep into mud pulling out crabs, shrimp, and other marine invertebrates. So what are they doing in the prairies of Montana?!
Curlews are actually a type of Sandpiper, scientific name, Numenius americanus. Numenius means “of the new moon,” describing the thin, curved shape of the bill which resembles a sickle-shaped new moon. They are about the size of a Mallard with long legs and a long neck, as you can see.
So why in Montana? As is the case with other shorebirds, Curlews breed in areas of the Great Plains and Great Basin, basically grasslands. They are here to have their young.
Their diet needs to change of course since shrimp and crabs are few and far between across the prairies. With that bill they can dig for worms but often just peck the ground for beetles, spiders, caterpillars and they are especially fond of grasshoppers. Yum-o. They may on occasion eat eggs and even nestlings of other birds.
The males and females look alike, but the females’ bills are longer with a more obvious curve at the bill’s tip. Since we saw no two Curlews together, it is hard to tell if this is the curved bill of a male or the more curved bill of a female. Regardless, dang long bills.
We are at the early stages of springtime Curlew arrivals, but the males will soon begin courting. He uses aerial displays and will scrape the ground creating possible nests in dry areas with low grass. The female will choose a scraping that appeals and they will mate. The female then fine-tunes the scraping and they both line the nest with pebbles, bark, grass, twigs, animal droppings, and seeds.
Their clutch is typically 4 eggs that incubate for 27-31 days. They have one brood a season, unlike Robins that hold the record for having up to 4 or 5 broods, each with 3 to 5 eggs . That’s a lot of kids to care for each season!
The Curlew young hatch with their eyes open, covered in down. They are able to leave the nest five hours after hatching. Mom and dad care for the hatchlings for two to three weeks. Then the female leaves and the male cares for the young until they are ready to be on their own.
As summer wanes, Curlews head for their wintering grounds in tidal estuaries, mudflats, wetlands, and beaches. There they forage with other shorebirds in small groups.
As with so many birds, the Curlews primary threat is habitat loss from both climate change impacts and development. The good news is their populations have been steady since about 1966. Nesting in areas with pesticide spraying and increasing weather severity may have an impact, but so far they are doing well.
Until next time my friend, enjoy the birds that show up in your neck of the woods! This one’s for you Annie.
Wonderful Joy
Thanks!