Wildlifeof Nepal
Eurasian Whimbrel
Shorebirds
Photo: Pierre Dalous · CC BY-SA 4.0
Numenius phaeopus
Basic stats
Diet
Small invertebrates and small crabs; berries before migration
Habitat
Tundra and moorland when breeding; coasts in winter
Range
Breeds across the subarctic Palearctic and northern Europe; winters on coasts of Africa, South Asia and Australasia
Clutch size
3–5 eggs
Size
37–47cm
Wingspan
75–90cm
Weight
270–493g
The Eurasian whimbrel is a fairly large wader but a mid-sized curlew, 37–47cm long with a wingspan of 75–90cm and a weight of 270–493g. It is mainly greyish brown, and in two subspecies has a white back and rump. Its long, down-curved bill has a distinct kink rather than a smooth curve. The usual call is a rippling whistle, drawn out into a trill as song, and the English name imitates it. It was split from the Hudsonian whimbrel of the Americas in 2019, though some authorities still treat them as one species (Wikipedia, general species account).
It breeds on tundra and Arctic moorland across the subarctic Palearctic, laying three to five eggs in a bare scrape, and a sitting female will lure intruders away. It winters on coasts in Africa, South Asia and Australasia and is fairly gregarious outside the breeding season. It probes soft mud for small invertebrates and picks small crabs from the surface, and eats berries before migrating (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Eurasian Whimbrel eat?
- Small invertebrates and small crabs; berries before migration
- What habitat does the Eurasian Whimbrel live in?
- Tundra and moorland when breeding; coasts in winter
- Where is the Eurasian Whimbrel found?
- Breeds across the subarctic Palearctic and northern Europe; winters on coasts of Africa, South Asia and Australasia
- How many eggs does the Eurasian Whimbrel lay?
- 3–5 eggs
- How big is the Eurasian Whimbrel?
- 37–47cm
- What is the wingspan of the Eurasian Whimbrel?
- 75–90cm
- How much does the Eurasian Whimbrel weigh?
- 270–493g