Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus.

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

One of the most wide-ranging shorebirds in the world the Whimbrel breeds in the Artic in the eastern and western hemispheres, and migrates to South America, Africa, south Asia, and Australia. Some migrating Whimbrels make a nonstop flight of 2,500 miles from southern Canada or New England to South America.

Foraging for insects, crustaceans and berries by walking, probing and picking prey from shores, mudflats, marshes and tundra, its primary winter food source is crab. The curve of the Whimbrel’s bill matches the shape of fiddler crab burrows.

It was seriously depleted by market hunters by the late 19th century and has recovered somewhat.

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Deepbrook Nature Photography