Photo: Andreas Trepte / CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Shorebirds

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 14 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Western Australia Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Quebec Birds of England Birds of Bedfordshire Birds of Buckinghamshire Birds of South Yorkshire Birds of Berkshire Birds of Bristol Birds of Cambridgeshire

By family

Sandpipers & Allies of Western Australia Sandpipers & Allies of Newfoundland and Labrador Sandpipers & Allies of Quebec Sandpipers & Allies of England

See what's near you right now

The Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 803 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
Genus Numenius
Species arquata

Where it lives

Subarctic and temperate Palearctic wetlands, meadows: Faroe Is., British Isles, Scandinavia south to southern France, east through northern Kazakhstan and (locally) northern Mongolia to Transbaikalia (northeastern Russia), Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang (northeastern China)

Europe & Northern Asia

Quick facts

Weight: 803 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Scolopacidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Grassland & open country

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Long-billed Curlew

Numenius americanus

Endangered

Far Eastern Curlew

Numenius madagascariensis

Near Threatened

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosa

Vulnerable

Marbled Godwit

Limosa fedoa

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Eurasian Curlew hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Eurasian Curlew is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) belongs to the Scolopacidae family of the order Charadriiformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL subarctic and temperate Palearctic wetlands, meadows: Faroe Is., British Isles, Scandinavia s to s France, e through n Kazakhstan and (locally) n Mongolia to Transbaikalia (ne Russia), Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang (ne China).

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 803 g, with a wing length of about 29.2 cm and a tail of around 11.1 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 12.5 million km² — a very large global range.

Songs & calls

Eurasian Curlew — Call, song

Recorded by Lars Edenius Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Eurasian Curlew?

The Eurasian Curlew is a large bird that weighs around 803 g.

Where does the Eurasian Curlew live?

The Eurasian Curlew is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL subarctic and temperate Palearctic wetlands, meadows: Faroe Is., British Isles, Scandinavia s to s France, e through n Kazakhstan and (locally) n Mongolia to Transbaikalia (ne Russia), Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang (ne China), where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Eurasian Curlew belong to?

The Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Eurasian Curlew eat?

The Eurasian Curlew hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Eurasian Curlew migrate?

The Eurasian Curlew is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Eurasian 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 Eurasian Curlew make?

1 real field recording of the Eurasian 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 Eurasian Curlew's range?

The Eurasian Curlew has a mapped global range of about 12.5 million km².