Eurasian Curlew

About this heritage

The Eurasian curlew, Numenius arquata, is one of the largest waders in Europe and is easy to identify by its imposing size, sandy brown plumage with fine streaks, and above all, by its extraordinarily long and downward-curved bill, even longer in the female. With binoculars, it can be easily observed in marshes and estuaries such as the Miño.

It feeds by probing with its bill in mudflats and wet meadows, extracting worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and even starfish.

During the breeding season, it occupies wet meadows, reed beds, and dunes in northern Europe and Asia, where it digs a simple nest on the ground, lined with grasses and vegetation.

In the Miño, it does not stay year-round: it can mainly be seen during winter and migratory passages along the Iberian Atlantic coast.