© David McDonald
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Family: (Scolopacidae) Sandpipers, Phalaropes and Allies
Preferred Habitat: Beaches and mudflats.
Seasonal Occurrence: Uncommon spring and fall. Occasional other seasons.
Notes: Whimbrels, like other curlews, are large sandpipers distinguished by their long, down-curved bills. Whimbrels are smaller than Long-billed Curlews with shorter bills. Their plumage is mottled gray-brown with prominent black head stripes. Whimbrels use their long bills to probe for crabs and other invertebrates. Whimbrels associate in small flocks and fly in small lines or V-formations. They are remarkable for their extensive range, breeding in the Arctic as well as both hemispheres. Migration routes take them to South America as well as Asia, Africa and Australia.
- Susan Billetdeaux
