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Project Noah Nature School
Numenius americanus
They are Cinnamon brown checkered ochre sandy buff colors; the bill, is well Long and curves down with a twoish tone color, grey legs. But a regal looking bird if ever there was one. They are easy to spot in the field and unmistakeable in their mating dance routine, in it's dust devil whirl. And they Don't like you coming around ! Their Call is unmistakeable ...if you hear them you will likely see them.
We get them on the Plains in Montana across the whole state and these pix are found on the aprons of the Pryor Mtns South of Billings, MT. They like to have a water hole and lots of short stubby rangeland/ unfarmed land. The young are good to go from birth. Otherwise the choice of breeding environ would be very unsafe if these birds had to feed their young.
i was intent on finding and taking pix of these Long-bill Curlew's and it happens i was just ready to give it up as i came upon a large pond alond side the dirt road on the south side of the Pryors... i paused to eat lunch and soon as i stopped it started raining and two Curlews were buzzing me to get out of their livingroom. i tried to make friends but they didn't want any of my PB & J ~ got a mess of pix ~ wanted to up-load 4 but like last nite the up-loader just caved in after 3 pix :(
Spotted on Jun 26, 2011
Submitted on Oct 15, 2011
4 Comments
The color on the bill goes from red to blue to tan. the Female has a longer beak than the male. You wouldn't believe the antics these birds put on if you get in their living room! So i didn't over stay my uhhh welcome ~ however they were the reason i came knocking.
That sure is one big bill!
I love the curlew, especially the 2nd photo. We have some breed of curlew around here but are very rare.
almost similar to the eurasian curlew ,
nice one