Little Curlew

Numenius minutus

Family: Sandpipers and Allies · Status: Vagrant · Size: 29–32 cm · Conservation: Least Concern

Range

Breeds in the taiga of northern Siberia. Migrates through eastern China, Borneo, and the Philippines to winter in southern New Guinea and northern Australia.

Identification

Smallest curlew in the region. Shows shorter and more evenly decurved bill than in similar species, with distinct dark eyestripe, brown crown stripe, and buff supercilium. Underparts buff with thin streaks on sides of neck; upperparts dark with buff feather edges. Legs and feet yellowish to bluish-grey. Eurasian Whimbrel is larger with a much longer, more strongly decurved and kinked bill and prominent dark lores.

Habitat

Open fields, grasslands, and margins of freshwater; also coastal mudflats during migration.

Behaviour

Feeds on invertebrates by picking and shallow probing; walks with a nimble, tripping gait.