The whimbrel is like a smaller version of the curlew; it breeds on moorlands and uplands and can be seen at coastal habitats as it passes through on migration. On its breeding grounds, it feeds on ground insects, snails and slugs, swapping these tasty morsels for crustaceans, shrimps and molluscs when migrating.
How to identify
The whimbrel is a streaky, greyish-brown wader, with long, blue-grey legs and a long, downcurved, grey bill. It can be distinguished from the larger curlew by its shorter bill and strong head pattern: a dark crown, a pale stripe down the middle, and a dark eyestripe. When they fly, Whimbrel show a white wedge on the back and tail.
Did you know?
Apart from the whimbrel and curlew, there are six other species of curlew in the world, two of which - the Eskimo curlew of North America and the slender-billed curlew of Eastern Europe - may be extinct.
