Eurasian curlew

Scientific name: Numenius arquata

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Large wading bird with long, distinctive downward-curved bill (longer in females). Plumage is mottled brown and buff overall with darker streaking on head and back; underparts lighter with streaked flanks.

Size and weight

Males 48–56 cm, 570–900 g; females 52–66 cm, 700–1,050 g. Bill length 10–12 cm (females longer).

Habitat

Eurasian curlews breed on open moorlands, grasslands, and wet meadows from lowland to upland elevations (sea level to 600 m). They prefer areas with short vegetation, boggy ground, and minimal tree cover.

Distribution

Breeds across temperate Eurasia from Britain east to central Russia and Mongolia. Winters in coastal regions and river valleys from North Africa and Mediterranean to sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia.

Diet

Probes soft ground and shallow water for invertebrates (earthworms, beetle larvae, tipulids); also takes small fish, frogs, and berries seasonally in autumn.

Behaviour

Diurnal and crepuscular; highly vocal during breeding with distinctive bubbling calls. Pairs are territorial on breeding grounds; outside breeding, they form loose flocks and are alert, flushing readily when disturbed.

Hunting tips

Look for characteristic feeding sign—holes and probe marks in soft soil, mud, and turf where birds have searched for invertebrates. Approach open ground cautiously using contours and vegetation as cover; curlews are wary and flush from distance. Early morning and evening provide best visibility; move slowly into wind across moorland and grassland margins.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

France

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.