Species BirdsLong-billed Curlew

Long-billed Curlew

Numenius americanus

UncommonBird
Illustration of Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)

The Long-billed Curlew is the largest shorebird in North America, the female's extraordinarily long, curved bill — up to 8.5 inches — used to probe deep into burrows for crabs and invertebrates in winter and to pluck insects from grass in summer. It is a bird of western grasslands in summer, shifting to coastal mudflats in winter. Its loud, rising 'cur-LEEE' call carries far across open landscapes.

Habitat
Short-grass prairies in summer; coastal mudflats and estuaries in winter
Diet
Insects, crayfish, crabs, and marine invertebrates
How common
Uncommon

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