Fauna
Bird

Long-billed Curlew

Numenius americanus

Also known as Sicklebird, Candlestick Bird

Long-billed curlews are North America's largest shorebirds, immediately recognized by an extraordinarily long, down-curved bill that can reach over twenty centimeters in length. During spring courtship, males perform undulating flight displays over open prairie, tracing roller-coaster arcs while singing a haunting, bubbling whistle that carries across the plains. Pairs nest directly on the ground amid shortgrass and sagebrush, vigorously mobbing coyotes, raptors, and human intruders that wander too close to their camouflaged chicks.

ShorebirdGrasslandMigratory
Long-billed Curlew reference1 / 7
(c) Timothy McNitt, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyGrasshoppers, Crabs, Earthworms
Predators
  • Coyote
  • American Badger
  • Prairie Falcon
ThreatsGrassland conversion to agriculture, habitat fragmentation, and coastal development
HabitatsNative shortgrass prairie, sagebrush plains, coastal mudflats, and salt marshes
Life span8–10 years
Classification
  1. OrderCharadriiformes
  2. FamilyScolopacidae
  3. GenusNumenius
  4. SpeciesNumenius americanus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
What to notice
Look for a cinnamon-buff shorebird with an exceptionally long, decurved bill stalking through open western rangeland.
Support conservation
Keep vehicles and dogs well away from nesting territories between April and July, as trampling readily destroys ground nests.
Responsible observation
  • Best Viewing: Scan wide coastal tidal flats in winter and open native rangeland during spring breeding season.
  • Distance: Maintain at least 50 meters during nesting season to avoid triggering protective mobbing flights.
  • Identification: Look for cinnamon wing linings in flight and the extreme downward curve of the slender bill.
Related species
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