Field Guide
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Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Not yet photographed by the community
Smaller curlew; rippling 'tittering' call; migrant.
Species Profile
Amber List (UK Birds of Conservation Concern)
- Lifespan
- 20–30 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 37–47 cm, wingspan 71–83 cm; 270–420 g
- Habitat
- Breeds on upland moorland, tundra, and boggy areas; winters on coastal mudflats, estuaries, and sandy shores.
- UK Distribution
- Summer breeder in small numbers across Scottish Highlands and northern England; common passage migrant and winter visitor to UK coasts from July to May.
- Diet
- Probes soft ground and mud for invertebrates, particularly worms, crustaceans, and insects; also eats some berries and plant material.
- Prey
- Earthworms, lugworms, amphipods, insect larvae, spiders
- Predators
- Peregrines, merlins, and golden eagles; occasionally taken by larger gulls and corvids at rest sites.
- Mating Season
- April to July
- Breeding
- Clutch of 4 eggs, incubation period 27–29 days, single brood per season; chicks fledge at 35–40 days.
- Behaviour
- Highly migratory with distinct populations moving between Arctic breeding grounds and African wintering areas. Often seen in small flocks during migration and winter, calling frequently with distinctive whistling notes. Males perform aerial display flights during breeding season.
- •The Whimbrel's curved bill can reach deep into mud to extract prey, with sensory nerve endings near the tip for detecting hidden invertebrates.
- •Some Whimbrels undertake one of the longest animal migrations, travelling over 9,000 km annually between Arctic breeding grounds and West African wintering areas.
- •The species has seven distinct subspecies worldwide, with the nominate phaeopus breeding in Scandinavia and Russia.
- •Whimbrels are known for their loud, rhythmic whistling call—a series of seven notes descending in pitch, often heard during flight.
- •UK breeding birds are highly threatened by moorland management practices and nest disturbance, with only 300–400 pairs remaining.
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