Curlew
A curlew is a large wading bird in the genus Numenius, recognized by its long, downcurved bill and distinctive call.
Numenius: A genus of large wading birds with long, downcurved bills, including curlews and whimbrels. Curlew is the common name for birds in this genus.
Tactile foraging: A feeding method in which an animal detects prey through touch while probing or searching a substrate. Curlews can locate buried prey with their bills in soft mud.
Conservation biology: The scientific study of protecting biodiversity and managing threats to species and ecosystems. Curlew declines have prompted research and targeted protection efforts.
Eurasian curlew: A large curlew, Numenius arquata, breeding across temperate Eurasia and wintering farther south. It is the widespread species often meant by the unqualified name “curlew” in Europe.
Scolopacidae: A family of shorebirds that includes sandpipers, snipes, godwits, and curlews. Curlews are large members of this shorebird family.
Intertidal zone: The coastal area exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide. Tidal exposure opens feeding grounds for many coastal curlews.
Habitat fragmentation: The division of continuous habitat into smaller, isolated patches. Fragmented breeding and feeding habitats can reduce curlew populations.
Long-billed curlew: The largest shorebird in North America, Numenius americanus, with an exceptionally long bill. Its bill is especially long, and it breeds in North American grasslands.
Shorebird: A bird adapted to feeding along shorelines, mudflats, or other shallow-water habitats. Curlews forage in coastal and inland wetlands as shorebirds.
Benthic zone: The ecological region at the bottom of a body of water, including its sediment surface. Worms and other bottom-dwelling animals are common curlew prey.