Long-billed Curlew

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The Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) is a bird of extremes. At once it is the largest shorebird in the United States. It has the longest bill, and it is the most endangered shorebird.

They are migrants, breeding primarily in the grasslands of the Western United States and wintering in Mexico. They also winter on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

Along with a couple of Plover Species, Long-billed Curlews are listed among the most endangered of all the shorebirds. Their biggest threat is habitat destruction.

Their diet varies depending on their location. Local insects such as grasshoppers are a favorite in the grasslands of their inland breeding range. Along the coast they also eat small marine organisms such as shrimp.

© 2006. Patricia A. Michaels.