Eurasian Curlew

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Moorland (summer); estuaries (winter).
Diet: Worms, crabs.
Best time to spot: Bubbling "cur-lee" call.

When to look

Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Eurasian Curlew sits in our Common tier for the UK: one of the birds you can expect on most days out in the right habitat. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK.

Where to see it

Reserves where the Eurasian Curlew is on the list:

• RSPB Arne
• RSPB Minsmere
• RSPB Titchwell Marsh

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• WhimbrelUncommon · Northern moors (summer); coast (passage)
• Eskimo CurlewLegendary · Grassland (probably extinct)
• Hudsonian WhimbrelLegendary · Saltmarsh
• Little WhimbrelLegendary · Short grass (extreme vagrant)
• European Golden PloverUncommon · Moorland (summer); fields (winter)
• MerlinUncommon · Moorland (summer); coast (winter)

Kit that helps

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