Numenius arquata - Curlew
Feather characters. Barbules are rather short (0.7-0.9 mm) and divided into pigmented nodes and (partly) pigmented internodes. Concentration and amount of pigment in internodes may vary. Pigmentation decreases distally. Slightly thickened nodes (25-29 per mm) are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules, only slightly decreasing in size towards distal end. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Minute prongs may be present along the entire length of barbules, on both sides of the pennulum. These prongs are unequally distributed, and many nodal structures without prongs may be found. Distribution of prongs is variable.
Field characters. Size 56-63 cm. Weight: male742 g (540-900), female 869 g (720-1050) (Dunning, 1993). Female larger than male, with longer bill. Large wader, mainly brown with black markings on upperparts, buff breast with black spots, and white on underparts. No wing bar, but has obvious white rump, extending in wedge onto back. Legs long and grey-blue, bill long and curved downward, in female much longer than in male. Juvenile similar, but with shorter bill. Flight strong and gull-like. Outside breeding season in singles or flocks. Shy and wary, difficult to approach.
Voice. Call slow 'koooee'. Song rising and accelerating 'koo koo koo kooee koorree'.
Distribution. Scarce, but locally common. Locally common outside breeding season. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Breeds in dunes, pastures, marshes, etc., with open vegetation cover, but never near or between trees. Feeds in open terrain, like meadows. In winter, in fields, salt marshes and tidal flats.
Food. Invertebrates, mainly taken by probing. Also berries and insects.