- Lifespan
- 12–20 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 50–57 cm, wingspan 80–100 cm; 400–900 g
- Habitat
- Open moorland, wet grassland, marshes, and coastal mudflats, preferring areas with low vegetation and soft ground.
- UK Distribution
- Breeds throughout upland areas of Scotland, northern England, Wales, and south-west England. Winter visitors and migrants from continental Europe supplement resident populations; many breed in the UK but migrate south for winter.
- Diet
- Carnivorous, feeding on invertebrates found in soil and mud, probed with its long curved bill.
- Prey
- Earthworms, beetle larvae, insect nymphs, crustaceans, and occasionally small fish and frogs
- Predators
- Foxes, stoats, corvids (crows and magpies), golden eagles, and peregrine falcons
- Mating Season
- March to June
- Breeding
- Clutch of 4 eggs, incubation period 27–29 days, single brood per year. Young fledge at 32–38 days old.
- Behaviour
- Highly vocal during breeding season, males perform distinctive aerial displays accompanied by loud, bubbling calls. Curlews are generally solitary or in small flocks during breeding but may congregate in larger groups on wintering grounds. They probe deep into soft ground using their exceptionally long, curved bill to extract prey.