Field note 06
Curlews
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Eurasian curlew · Kuitala
Numenius arquata
- Found in Latvia?
- Yes · local breeder and migrant
- Habitat
- Open bogs and wet grasslands; also coastal feeding areas during migration.
- Diet
- Worms, insects, and other invertebrates in soil or mud.
Appearance and behaviour
The Eurasian curlew is a large, long-legged wader with streaked brown plumage and a conspicuously downcurved bill. It uses the bill to probe soft ground for invertebrates, although it also takes food from the surface. Its clear whistles and bubbling calls carry across open country.
Curlews nest in shallow scrapes on the ground. Their plumage blends well with grasses and bog vegetation, so a large bird may remain surprisingly difficult to locate. During migration, they also use shorelines and other open feeding areas, sometimes in flocks.
Occurrence in Latvia
A local breeder and passage migrant in Latvia. Open bogs and wet grasslands provide breeding habitat, while migrants may also occur along the coast.
Further reading: Latvian bird records.
This page is a summary. The guide knows more, such as nesting, size and lifespan: ask at /ask/what-do-curlews-eat-and-how-do-they-feed, or write any question as a path after /ask/.