Slender Billed Curlew: From Physical Characteristics to Conservation Status

The Slender Billed Curlew is a bird species that's quite unique in its physical characteristics. It has a long, slender bill that's typically around 4-5 cm in length.

This bird can be found in various parts of the world, including Europe and Asia, where it inhabits wetlands and grasslands.

The Slender Billed Curlew is a medium-sized bird, measuring around 40-45 cm in length and weighing between 120-150 grams.

See what others are reading: Slender Blind Snakes

The slender-billed curlew was a small bird, measuring 36-41 cm in length and having a wingspan of 77-88 cm.

Its plumage was mainly greyish-brown above, with a whitish rump and lower back.

The underparts were whitish, heavily streaked with dark brown.

The flanks had round or heart-shaped spots, which were fewer in the non-breeding plumage.

Male and female slender-billed curlews were alike in plumage, but females had longer bills than males.

The juvenile plumage was very similar to the adult, but with brown streaking on the flanks.

For another approach, see: Slender Snouted Crocodiles

The bill of the slender-billed curlew was shorter, more slender, and slightly straighter at the base compared to the Eurasian curlew.

The species showed more white than other curlews, with a white underwing and tail.

The white underwing was not a reliable identification criterion, especially for juveniles and first-year birds.

The uniformly dark underside of 4 to 6 outer primaries was a more reliable identification feature.

The slender-billed curlew had black legs, which were darker in juveniles and first-year birds.

The Slender-Billed Curlew is listed as Critically Endangered by the Red List of Threatened Species, but a recent study suggests it will likely be recategorized as Extinct in the next update.

Conservation efforts began in 1994 with the Convention on Migratory Species producing a Memorandum of Understanding, also known as the Bonn Convention.

A total of 18 countries signed the Bonn Convention between 1994-2000, and an Action Plan for the Conservation of the Slender-Billed Curlew was put into effect in July 1994.

Additional reading: Conservation-reliant Species

The Action Plan aimed to impose hunting bans, create educational programs, and protect key sites to safeguard the species.

A Slender-Billed Curlew Working Group was established in 1997, but was relaunched in 2008 with cooperation from 19 countries.

The working group's goal is to record and disseminate data for the species' preservation.

A new action plan was launched in 2002 to protect the species across its breeding and non-breeding range in 33 countries.

Unfortunately, the Slender-Billed Curlew faces numerous threats, including unsustainable exploitation, drainage of wetlands, and agricultural expansion, among others.

The Slender-billed Curlew is a member of the genus Numenius, which also includes other curlew species and Whimbrels. This genus is part of the Scolopacidae family, specifically within the Numeniinae subfamily.

The Slender-billed Curlew has been identified by several researchers, including Corso, Jansen, and Kokay, who reviewed the identification criteria and variability of the species in 2014. Their work is published in British Birds, issue 107. In 2025, Marchant and van den Berg also published articles on the identification of the Slender-billed Curlew in British Birds, issues 77 and 83, respectively.

The Slender-billed Curlew is closely related to the Eurasian Curlew, as confirmed by a DNA sequence-based species-level phylogeny study conducted in 2019. This study used a specimen collected in 1855 in the Crimea and housed at the Zoological Museum of Lomonosov at Moscow State University.

The Slender-billed Curlew is a bird species that has been extensively studied and documented.

The identification of the Slender-billed Curlew is a complex process, requiring careful observation and consideration of various characteristics.

One of the most important aspects of identification is the bird's physical appearance, including its size, plumage, and beak shape.

Corso, Andrea; Jansen, Justin; Kokay, Szabolcs (2014) provide a detailed review of the identification criteria for the Slender-billed Curlew, highlighting the importance of considering the bird's overall shape and proportions.

The Slender-billed Curlew's beak shape is particularly distinctive, with a slender, pointed bill that is characteristic of the species.

Marchant (2025) notes that the Slender-billed Curlew's beak shape is one of the key features used to identify the species in the field.

Other important characteristics for identification include the bird's plumage pattern and coloration, as well as its size and shape.

The Slender-billed Curlew is a medium-sized bird, typically measuring between 30-40 cm in length.

The species' plumage is characterized by a brownish-gray coloration with a distinctive white belly and a dark brown back.

van den Berg (2025) provides a detailed description of the Slender-billed Curlew's habitat in Morocco, highlighting the importance of considering the bird's environmental context when making an identification.

Porter (2025) notes that the Slender-billed Curlew's identification can be challenging, especially for inexperienced birders.

However, with careful observation and consideration of the bird's various characteristics, it is possible to make a confident identification.

De Smet (1999) provides a detailed account of the Slender-billed Curlew's history, including its discovery and early records.

The species was first collected in the Netherlands in 1896, and since then, it has been the subject of extensive study and documentation.

The Slender-billed Curlew is a fascinating bird species that continues to capture the imagination of birders and naturalists around the world.

The Slender-billed Curlew is a distinct species closely related to Eurasian Curlew.

It belongs to the genus Numenius, which also includes other curlew species and Whimbrels.

In 2019, scientists tested a Slender-Billed Curlew specimen from 1855 and created a DNA sequence-based species-level phylogeny.

This confirmed the Slender-billed Curlew's distinct species status and its close relationship to Eurasian Curlew.

The Slender-billed curlew is a rare bird species, and one of the six curlews of the same genus living in the world.

It measures between 360mm and 410mm from the tip of its bill to the tip of its tail.

This bird has dark grey legs, and a white tail with four or five relatively thin dark bars.

The Slender-billed curlew is a migratory shorebird that can travel over a distance of 5-6,500 km from Northwest Siberia to its overwintering grounds in Morocco and along the Persian Gulf.

Here are some key characteristics of the Slender-billed curlew:

The last documented sighting of the Slender-Billed Curlew was on April 28, 1972, in Cape Andreas.

The species was also spotted in Kuwait Bay on January 12, 1967, with a total of 5 birds observed.

The Slender-Billed Curlew is currently listed as Critically Endangered, but it's likely to be recategorized as Extinct in the next Red List update.

A Memorandum of Understanding was produced by the Convention on Migratory Species in 1994 to protect the Slender-Billed Curlew and its habitat.

Between 1994 and 2000, 18 countries signed the Bonn Convention, which aimed to impose hunting bans, create educational programs, and protect key sites.

A Slender-Billed Curlew Working Group was established in 1997 to record and disseminate data for the species' preservation.

A new action plan was launched in 2002 to protect the species across 33 countries within its potential breeding and non-breeding range.

The action plan includes actions to promote policies, protect wintering and breeding grounds, and raise public awareness about the species' threats.

The slender-billed curlew is a fascinating bird species that has been a subject of interest for many ornithologists.

Its scientific name, Numenius tenuirostris, was first described in the 19th century.

This bird is known to be a migratory species, traveling from its breeding grounds in Eastern Europe to its wintering grounds in Africa.

The slender-billed curlew is listed as a critically endangered species due to its declining population.

It has a distinctive slender bill, which is one of its most recognizable features.