Little Curlew
Numenius minutus
Smallest of the Asian curlews, just larger than a snipe. Found in open fields, grasslands, and pastures and also on coastal mudflats during migration. Large eyes give this bird a gentle appearance. Paler and more warmly colored than other curlews, Little also lacks the pale rump of Eurasian and Far Eastern and lacks the strong facial stripes and longer bill of Whimbrel. Flight call a high-pitched, ringing “pipipi”, higher than Whimbrel’s.
Identification
The little curlew (Numenius minutus) is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It is a very small curlew, which breeds in the far north of Siberia. It is closely related to the North American Eskimo curlew.
Taxonomy
Genus: Numenius; Family: Scolopacidae; Order: Charadriiformes.
- Scientific name
- Numenius minutus
- Authority
- Gould, 1841
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Numenius
Range and habitat
Breeding range: PAL : patchily in subarctic taiga of wc to ec Siberia. Non-breeding range: AU : coastal and inland Trans-Fly (sc New Guinea), Port Moresby area (se New Guinea) and n Australia to wc, ec coasts.
- Breeding range
- PAL : patchily in subarctic taiga of wc to ec Siberia
- Non-breeding range
- AU : coastal and inland Trans-Fly (sc New Guinea), Port Moresby area (se New Guinea) and n Australia to wc, ec coasts
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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