Photo: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Stone-curlew
Esacus recurvirostris
Great Stone-curlew (Esacus recurvirostris) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Stone-curlew (Esacus recurvirostris) is a member of the Burhinidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 790 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Burhinidae Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
- Genus Esacus
- Species recurvirostris
Where it lives
River systems of southern, southeastern Asia: estuaries of southern Iran; inland Indus Valley (central Pakistan), sub-Himalayan India south to Sri Lanka and east to northern Thailand, northern Cambodia and northern, southern Vietnam
Quick facts
- Weight
- 790 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Burhinidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Stone-curlew is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of rivers and riverside habitats, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Great Stone-curlew is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Great Stone-curlew (Esacus recurvirostris) is a member of the Burhinidae family, within the order Charadriiformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR river systems of s, se Asia: estuaries of s Iran; inland Indus Valley (c Pakistan), sub-Himalayan India s to Sri Lanka and e to n Thailand, n Cambodia and n, s Vietnam.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 790 g, with a wing length of about 25.7 cm and a tail of around 10.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Stone-curlew?
The Great Stone-curlew is a large bird that weighs around 790 g.
Where does the Great Stone-curlew live?
The Great Stone-curlew is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR river systems of s, se Asia: estuaries of s Iran; inland Indus Valley (c Pakistan), sub-Himalayan India s to Sri Lanka and e to n Thailand, n Cambodia and n, s Vietnam, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Great Stone-curlew belong to?
The Great Stone-curlew (Esacus recurvirostris) belongs to the Burhinidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Great Stone-curlew eat?
The Great Stone-curlew is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Great Stone-curlew migrate?
The Great Stone-curlew is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Great Stone-curlew endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Great Stone-curlew make?
1 real field recording of the Great Stone-curlew — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Stone-curlew's range?
The Great Stone-curlew has a mapped global range of about 3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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