# Eurasian Curlew (*Numenius arquata*) The Eurasian Curlew is a large, long-legged bird with a beautiful curved beak. They love to roam around wetlands and coastal areas, searching for tasty worms and crustaceans to eat. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Eurasian Curlew](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Eurasian_Curlew.jpg&width=800) Photo: Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eurasian_Curlew.jpg) ## Appearance The Eurasian Curlew is a large wading bird with mottled brown plumage, a pale belly, and long grey-blue legs. Its most distinctive feature is its incredibly long, slender, downcurved bill, which is perfect for probing deep into mud and soil. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Scolopacidae - **Genus:** Numenius ## Interesting facts - Curlew chicks can run and find food by themselves just hours after hatching. - Some curlews travel thousands of kilometers each year, flying between continents! - Their bill can grow up to 20cm long – sometimes longer than a standard pencil! - They make a beautiful, bubbling 'cur-lee' call that gives them their name! ## Special abilities - **Super Sniffer:** Eurasian Curlews have a super sense of touch in their bill tips that helps them find hidden worms underground. - **Mud Mapper:** Eurasian Curlews can use their long, curved bill to probe deeply into mud and soft soil to find food. - **Nature's Camouflage:** Eurasian Curlews have mottled brown plumage that helps them blend perfectly into their grassy and muddy habitats. - **Voice Messenger:** Eurasian Curlews use their loud, bubbling 'cur-lee' call to communicate with others and warn of danger. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 50-60 cm - **Wingspan:** 80-106 cm - **Weight:** 0.58-1.3 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-32 years - **Speed:** 70 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-5 - **Incubation:** 27-30 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding They use their long, curved bills to probe for insects, worms, and small crustaceans hidden in the mud and soil. - **Primary Foods:** Earthworms, Ragworms, Crabs, Beetles, Small fish, Berries - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Preys on eggs and vulnerable young chicks in nests. - **Eaten by:** [Common Raven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-raven) (*Corvus corax*) — May take eggs and small chicks from unattended nests. - **Eats:** Ragworm (*Nereis virens*) — Probes for these marine worms in intertidal mudflats. - **Eats:** Green Crab (*Carcinus maenas*) — Crushes and eats small crabs found on the mudflats. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low If you see a bird, watch quietly from a distance so you don't scare it away. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Eurasian Curlew? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Eurasian Curlew? 50-60 cm ### What is Eurasian Curlew's wingspan? 80-106 cm ### How much does Eurasian Curlew weigh? 0.58-1.3 kg ### How long does Eurasian Curlew live? 10-32 years ### How fast can Eurasian Curlew move? 70 km/h ### What does Eurasian Curlew eat? They use their long, curved bills to probe for insects, worms, and small crustaceans hidden in the mud and soil. ### Where is Eurasian Curlew usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Heimat-Tierpark Olderdissen, Bielefeld](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/heimattierpark-olderdissen-bielefeld) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Zoo - [Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-saxony-wadden-sea-national-park) — Niedersachsen, DE · Park - [Naturpark Dümmer](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dummer-nature-park) — Niedersachsen; Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Park - [Biosphärenregion Berchtesgadener Land](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/berchtesgadener-land-biosphere-region) — Bayern, DE · Park - [Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/schleswig-holstein-wadden-sea-national-park) — Schleswig-Holstein, DE · Park - [Isonzo Estuary Regional Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/isonzo-estuary-nature-reserve) — IT · Park [View all places to see Eurasian Curlew](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/eurasian-curlew) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Eurasian Curlew: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-curlew)