Eurasian Curlew

Eurasian Curlew
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Numenius arquata

Malay Name: Kendi Besar Biasa

Chinese Name: 白腰杓鹬

Range: Found from Siberia to Mongolia and northeast China with some populations winter south to Africa, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, southern China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: arquata, suschkini, orientalis.

Local Subspecies: orientalis

Size: 50-60 cm

Identification: Adult resembles Whimbrel but is larger and has longer and gently down-curved bill and more uniform head with indistinct supercilium. Juvenile resembles adult but is smaller and has more buffish breast.

Similar looking species: Eurasian Whimbrel, Far Eastern Curlew

Habitat: Mudflats, sandflats and coastal wetlands.

Behaviour/Ecology:

Local Status: Very rare migrant

Conservation Status: Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2017)

Featured articles:

Featured reports: Oct 2022, Sep 2023, Oct 2023, Sep 2024, Nov 2024

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak week Sep 03-Sep 09
Early date 28 Jul 2014
Late date 11 Apr 2000
Scanning through a flock of Eurasian Whimbrels, you may be lucky enough to see a paler, larger, and longer-billed Eurasian Curlew – or perhaps even a Far Eastern Curlew!
Eurasian Curlew at SBWR. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Eurasian Curlew at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Photo Credits: Adrian Silas Tay.
Eurasian Curlew at SBWR. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Eurasian Curlews at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Photo Credits: Adrian Silas Tay.
Eurasian Curlew at SBWR. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Eurasian Curlew at SBWR. Photo credit: See Toh Yew Wai

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Eurasian Curlew)

References:

BirdLife International. (2017). Numenius arquata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22693190A117917038.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Eurasian Curlew. Retrieved on July 9, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/eurasian-curlew.

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