Long-billed Curlew

Numenius americanus Bechstein, 1812

Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, is a shorebird of the family Scolopacidae that breeds in inland grassland across temperate western and central North America, from southern British Columbia and south-western Saskatchewan to north-eastern California, north-eastern New Mexico and north-western Nebraska. Outside the breeding season it moves to coastal and inland areas of the southern USA, Mexico and western Central America, including California, the south-east USA, Mexico to central Panama and the western Yucatán Peninsula. It is the largest sandpiper regularly found in North America, and its bill is notably long and downcurved.

Order

Charadriiformes

Family

Scolopacidae — Sandpipers, Snipes

Breeding range

North America: inland grassland of temperate wc North America: s British Columbia e to sw Saskatchewan (sw, sc Canada) and s to ne California, ne New Mexico and nw Nebraska (sw, wc USA)

Nonbreeding range

coastal and inland s USA, Mexico, and w Central America: California, coastal se USA, coastal and inland Mexico to c Panama (e North Pacific) and to w Yucatan Pen. (e Mexico; w North Atlantic)