Why are curlews hard to spot despite their size?

Camouflage. The Eurasian curlew is a large, long-legged wader, but its streaked brown plumage blends well with grasses and bog vegetation, so the guide notes that a large bird may remain surprisingly difficult to locate. Nesting habits add to this: curlews nest in shallow scrapes on the ground in open bogs and wet grasslands, the same vegetation their plumage matches. The reliable giveaway is sound. Curlews give clear whistles and bubbling calls that carry across open country, so a bird you cannot see is often one you can hear. Outside the breeding season the search changes, since migrating curlews also use shorelines and other open feeding areas, sometimes in flocks.

Sources

• Curlews

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