Eurasian whimbrel

The Eurasian whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic Asia and Europe as far south as Scotland. This species and the Hudsonian whimbrel have recently been split, although some taxonomic authorities still consider them to be conspecific.

Eurasian whimbrel
N. p. phaeopus
N. p. variegatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Numenius
Species:
N. phaeopus
Binomial name
Numenius phaeopus
Synonyms
  • Scolopax phæopus Linnaeus, 1758

The Eurasian whimbrel is a migratory bird wintering on coasts in Africa, and South Asia into Australasia.[1] It is also a coastal bird during migration.[2] It is fairly gregarious outside the breeding season.

Description

This is a fairly large wader though mid-sized as a member of the curlew genus. The English name is imitative of the bird's call.[3] The genus name Numenius is from Ancient Greek noumenios, a bird mentioned by Hesychius. It is associated with the curlews because it appears to be derived from neos, "new" and mene "moon", referring to the crescent-shaped bill. The species name phaeopus is the Medieval Latin name for the bird, from Ancient Greek phaios, "dusky" and pous, "foot".[4]

It is 37–47 cm (15–19 in) in length, 75–90 cm (30–35 in) in wingspan, and 270–493 g (9.5–17.4 oz; 0.595–1.087 lb) in weight.[5] It is mainly greyish brown, with a white back and rump (subspecies N. p. phaeopus and N. p. alboaxillaris only), and a long curved bill (longest in the adult female) with a kink rather than a smooth curve. It is generally wary.

The usual call is a rippling whistle, prolonged into a trill for the song.

The only similar common species over most of this bird's range are larger curlews. The whimbrel is smaller, has a shorter, decurved bill and has a central crown stripe and strong supercilia.

Subspecies

There are 5 subspecies:[6]

Ecology

This species feeds by probing soft mud for small invertebrates and by picking small crabs and similar prey off the surface. Before migration, berries become an important part of their diet. It has also been observed taking insects, specifically blue tiger butterflies.[10]

The nest is a bare scrape on tundra or Arctic moorland. Three to five eggs are laid. Adults are very defensive of nesting area and will even attack humans who come too close.

Near the end of the 19th century, hunting on their migration routes took a heavy toll on this bird's numbers; the population has since recovered.

In the Ireland and Britain, it breeds in Scotland, particularly around Shetland, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides as well as the mainland at Sutherland and Caithness.

The whimbrel is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Numenius phaeopus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T22693178A38790708.
  2. Birds. Collins Pocket Guide. 1998. p. 156.
  3. "Whimbrel". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  4. Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 276, 301. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. "Whimbrel". All About Birds. Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
  6. Gill, F.; Donsker, D., eds. (2014). "IOC World Bird List (v4.2)". doi:10.14344/IOC.ML.4.2. Retrieved 7 September 2014. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. Gunnarsson, T. G.; Guðmundsson, G. A. (2016). "Migration and non-breeding distribution of Icelandic Whimbrels Numenius phaeopus islandicus as revealed by ringing recoveries". Wader Study. 123 (1): 44–48. doi:10.18194/ws.00031.
  8. Alves, J. A.; Dias, M. P.; Méndez, V.; Katrínardóttir, B.; Gunnarsson, T. G. (2016). "Very rapid long-distance sea crossing by a migratory bird". Scientific Reports. 6 (1): 38154. Bibcode:2016NatSR...638154A. doi:10.1038/srep38154. PMC 5128861. PMID 27901077.
  9. Carneiro, C.; Gunnarsson, T. G.; Alves, J. A. (2019). "Faster migration in autumn than in spring: seasonal migration patterns and non-breeding distribution of Icelandic whimbrels". Journal of Avian Biology. 50 (1). doi:10.1111/jav.01938.
  10. Woodall, P.F. (1996). "Whimbrel feeding on Blue Tiger butterflies". Sunbird. Queensland Ornithological Society. 26 (2): 46–48. ISSN 1037-258X.
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