Hudsonian Whimbrel Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A robust, large shorebird with a very long, curved bill and relatively long neck and legs. The wings are long and pointed; the tail is short.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Willet, smaller than a Long-billed Curlew.

  crow-sized

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 16.9-18.1 in (43-46 cm)
    • Weight: 10.9-14.3 oz (310-404 g)

  © Karen Kreiger / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Mostly brownish above, with pale feather edges, tan below, with neat dark stippling. The crown is dark brown with a pale central stripe, and most show a narrow dark eyeline.

• Behavior

  Hudsonian Whimbrels probe with their long bills into mudflats or wet sand for invertebrates such as crabs, walking slowly through areas where water is very shallow. Flocks moving in migration, or between roosting and feeding areas, vocalize often. Males sing and display on and above nesting territories in the arctic, often calling loudly when they spot predators or intruders.
• Habitat

  Arctic tundra during the nesting season; saltmarshes, mudflats, beaches, small islands during migration and winter. They are sometimes found inland after being grounded by storms, taking refuge in farm fields, airports, lakeshores, or other open environments.