Numenius americanus
Armed with a bill that is more than 7 in. (18 cm) long, the Long-billed Curlew is the deepest prober on inland mudflats. The largest of North America's shorebirds, it forages in terrestrial, grassy environments during the summer months and in migration. Its long, downcurved bill is a wonderfully dexterous tool for picking up grasshoppers-while keeping its watchful eyes above the undulating prairie grass. The Long-billed Curlew breeds mainly on undisturbed prairie grasslands, which are very restricted in the Rocky Mountains, occurring only in Yellowstone National Park. Male curlews put on spectacular displays over their nesting territory: they give loud, ringing calls while fluttering higher and then gliding lower in an undulating flight. |
I.D.: Sexes similar: very long, downcurved bill (slightly longer in the female); buff-brown underparts; brown upperparts; mottled back; unstriped head; long legs. Size: L 20-26 in. (51-66 cm). Range: historical breeder, now rare in valleys in the central and northern U.S. Rockies; vagrant elsewhere in the Rockies. Habitat: short-grass prairie, occasionally in grainfields and pastures; often near water during migration. Nesting: usually on dry prairie on the Great Plains; in a slight depression sparsely lined with grass and other debris; pair incubates 4 eggs for 27-30 days; when danger approaches, they lay their heads flat on the ground. Feeding: In migration: probes shorelines and mudflats for soft-bodied invertebrates. During breeding: picks grasshoppers and other invertebrates from grass and from along sloughs. Voice: most common call in summer is a loud whistle: cur-lee cur-lee cur-lee; also a melodious, rolling cuurrleeeuuu. Similar Species: Marbled Godwit: straight, bicolored bill. |
