Whimbrel

Scientific name: Numenius phaeopus

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Medium-sized curlew with a long, slightly decurved bill, brown-grey plumage with heavy streaking, and a distinctive dark crown stripe with pale eyebrow. No marked sexual dimorphism in plumage; females average slightly larger.

Size and weight

Males 370–430 g, females 430–510 g; body length 37–47 cm.

Habitat

Whimbrels breed in open tundra, moorland, and grasslands with low vegetation and minimal tree cover. They favour wetland edges, coastal marshes, and inland plateaus during migration and wintering.

Distribution

Circumpolar breeder across high-latitude tundra from northern Canada to Siberia. Winters in South America, Africa, and Australasia; passage birds frequent coastal zones and inland wetlands throughout temperate regions.

Diet

Whimbrels probe soft ground and shallow water for invertebrates (worms, crustaceans, molluscs), supplementing with small fish, berries, and seeds during migration.

Behaviour

Diurnal and crepuscular foragers, highly migratory with long-distance intercontinental movements. Often seen in loose flocks during passage; pairs or small groups on breeding grounds; alert and vocal when disturbed.

Hunting tips

Look for feeding birds at dawn and dusk in open mudflats, shallow pools, and coastal margins where they probe visibly. Approach from downwind using terrain folds and sparse vegetation for cover; whimbrels are wary, so keep low and move during feeding pauses. Glass feeding flocks from distance to judge bird location and wind direction before stalking.

Whole weight

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

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 6 countries in Huntify.

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.