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Numenius arquata
This is the largest wader in its range, it is mainly greyish brown, with a white back, and a very long curved bill. Males and females look identical, but the bill is longest in the adult female. The familiar call, from which this bird gets it name, is a loud curloo-oo.
Seen near a salt pan.
Formerly classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN, it was suspected to be rarer than generally assumed. Following the evaluation of its population size, this was found to be incorrect, and it is consequently uplisted to Near Threatened status in 2008; though it is still a rather common bird, its numbers are noticeably declining. In Ireland, for example, the breeding population is estimated to have declined by 86% in the last 30 years.
Spotted on Nov 24, 2012
Submitted on Nov 29, 2012
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