Justification This widespread species remains common in many parts of its range, and determining population trends is problematic. Nevertheless, declines have been recorded in several key populations and overall a moderately rapid global decline is estimated. As a result, the species has been uplisted to Near Threatened.

Family/Sub-family Scolopacidae

Species name author (Linnaeus, 1758)

Taxonomic source(s) AERC TAC (2003), AOU checklist (1998 + supplements), Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994), Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993), Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Identification 55cm. Large wader with long down-curved bill. Mottled or streaked brown plumage with whiter belly and undertail. In flight show pointed whitish rump and barred tail as well as mottled whitish underwings. Outer primaries contrastingly dark and flight slow and gull-like. Similar spp. European race of N.phaeopus similar but with shorter bill and dark crown side and eye-stripe. N.tahitiensis, N.americanus and N.madagascariensis also similar but dark rumps and underwings.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

770,000 - 1,065,000

decreasing

12,600,000 km²

No

Range & population Numenius arquata is widely distributed, breeding across Europe from the British Isles, through north-western Europe and Scandinavia into Russia extending east into Siberia, east of Lake Baikal. It winters around the coasts of north-west Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, South-East Asia, Japan and the Sundas. It has a large global population estimated to number 765,000-1,065,000 individuals^28,29. The breeding population in Western Europe (220,000-360,000 pairs) has declined in recent years, with a 53% decline in the United Kingdom calculated over the period 1970-2005 from the Common Birds Census and the Breeding Bird Survey, and a 37% decline over the period 1994-2006 derived from the Breeding Bird Survey^33,34. A decline of 86% was calculated in Ireland between 1988-1991 and 2003^18,19 and declines have been recorded in Finland², Germany²⁰, Lithuania (20-30% per decade)²¹ and the Netherlands (31% since 1984²²). Unquantified, but potentially highly significant, declines have also been recorded in the central Asian populations of N. a. orientalis²³. In Denmark²⁴ and eastern Siberia²⁵ breeding populations are apparently stable and apparent increases in wintering populations in the Wadden Sea²⁶, on the Adriatic coast²⁷, in East Asia²⁸ and in Western Europe suggest that breeding populations, probably in European Russia and northern Siberia have perhaps increased. Overall, analysis of the compiled trend data indicate three generation (15 year) estimate of decline of between 26% and 34%^{2,19,22,28,29,30,31,32,33,34}. Owing to the uncertainty over whether declines in southern populations have been compensated by increases in northern populations, the global trend is suspected to fall within the band 20-30% declines in the past 15 years or three generations.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: Behaviour Most populations of this species are fully migratory⁶ and breed from April to August⁷ in solitary territorial pairs⁸, occasionally also forming small colonies⁹. After breeding adults gather on coasts (from July onwards)⁷ for the post-breeding moult¹⁰ before migrating south to the wintering grounds between July and November⁶. The species departs its wintering grounds again from February through to May, although non-breeders may remain in the wintering areas all-year-round⁶. During the winter the species usually forages singly or in small groups⁶ occasionally aggregating into flocks of several thousand individuals, especially at roosting sites¹⁰. Habitat Breeding The species breeds on upland moors, peat bogs, swampy and dry heathlands, fens, open grassy or boggy areas in forests, damp grasslands, meadows⁶, non-intensive farmland in river valleys⁷, dune valleys and coastal marshlands⁶. Non-breeding During the winter the species frequents muddy coasts, bays and estuaries⁶ with tidal mudflats and sandflats¹⁰, rocky and sandy beaches with many pools^{8, 10}, mangroves, saltmarshes¹⁰, coastal meadows⁸ and muddy shores of coastal lagoons⁸, inland lakes and rivers⁶. It also utilises wet grassland and arable fields during migration⁶. Diet Its diet consists chiefly of annelid worms and terrestrial insects⁶ (e.g. Coleoptera and Orthoptera)⁸ especially during the summer⁶, although it will also take crustaceans, molluscs, polychaete worms⁶, spiders⁸, berries and seeds, as well as occasionally small fish, amphibians, lizards, young birds and small rodents⁶. Breeding site The nest is a shallow depression on the ground or on a mound⁹ in the open or in the cover of grass or sedge⁶ often far from water⁸. Management information A study into the effects of shellfish harvesting by hand in coastal intertidal habitats recommends that the harvesting load should be limited to <0.56 persons per 10 ha^-1 during this species's autumn migration¹⁷.

Threats Breeding The species is threatened by the loss and fragmentation of moorland habitats as a result of afforestation^6,8 and of marginal grassland habitats as a result of agricultural intensification and improvement^6,8,16 (e.g. drainage, inorganic fertilisation and reseeding)¹⁶. The species also suffers from high egg and chick mortalities (due to mechanical mowing) and higher predation rates if nesting on improved grasslands⁶. Conversely populations in the central Asians steppes have declined following abandonment of farmland and subsequent increases in the height of vegetation, rendering large areas unsuitable for nesting. It has also suffered population declines as a result of hunting⁸, and is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus¹². Non-breeding Wintering populations are threatened by disturbance on intertidal mudflats^6,14,15 (e.g. from construction work¹⁴ and foot-traffic¹⁵), development on high-tide roosting sites, pollution⁶ and the flooding of estuarine mudflats and saltmarshes as a result of tidal barrage construction¹³. The species is also threatened by the degradation of migrational staging areas owing to land reclamation, pollution, human disturbance and reduced river flows¹¹. Local populations of this species have also declined owing to hunting pressures⁶.

Conservation measures underway Annex II/2 of the EU Birds Directive. The European Commission have commissioned a management plan for the species which has been updated for 2007-2009. The species occurs in a large number of protected areas throughout its range and features in several national monitoring schemes.

Conservation measures proposed The Management Plan for Curlew outlines key conservation targets: Protect key wintering sites. Determine the key perameters driving declines in breeding areas and integrate agri-environment measures to counter these. Continue monitoring trends. Minimise disturbance on the wintering grounds.

References 1. Wetlands International (2002). 2. BirdLife International (2004). 3. S. Chan in litt. (2005). 4. A. Mischenko in litt. (2005). 5. E. Bragin in litt. (2005). 6. del Hoyo et al. (1996). 7. Hayman et al. (1986). 8. Johnsgard (1981). 9. Flint et al. (1984). 10. Snow and Perrins (1998). 11. Kelin and Qiang (2006). 12. Melville and Shortridge (2006). 13. Burton (2006). 14. Burton et al. (2002a). 15. Burton et al. (2002b). 16. Baines (1988). 17. Navedo and Masero (2007). 18. Gibbons et al. (1993). 19. Hillis (2003). 20. Hötker et al. (2007). 21. L. Raudonikis in litt. (2007). 22. A. J. van Djik in litt. (2007). 23. J. Kamp and S. Sklyarenko in litt. (2007). 24. K. N. Flensted in litt. (2007). 25. I. Fefelov in litt. (2007). 26. Laursen and Karsten (2005). 27. Gusson et al. (2005). 28. M. Barter in litt. (2007). 29. Wetlands International (2006). 30. Thorup (2006). 31. A. Copland in litt. (2007). 32. M. Boschert in litt. (2007). 33. Eaton et al. (2007). 34. R. Gregory in litt. (2007).

Further web sources of information

Detailed species account from Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status (BirdLife International 2004)

Text account compilers Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Jonathan Ekstrom (BirdLife International), Matt Harding (BirdLife International), Lucy Malpas (BirdLife International)

Contributors Mark Barter, M Boschert, Evgeny Bragin (Naurzum National Nature Reserve), Simba Chan (Wild Bird Society of Japan), A Copland (BirdWatch Ireland), I. Fefelov (Research Institute of Biology, Irkutsk University), Knud Flensted (Dansk Ornitologisk Forening), Johannes Kamp (Universitat Oldenburg), Alexander L. Mischenko (Russian Bird Conservation Union/BirdLife in Russia), Liutauras Raudonikis (Lietuvos Ornitologu Draugija), Sergey Sklyarenko (Association for Conservation of Biodiversity in KZ), Arend van Dijk (SOVON Vogelonderzoek Nederland)

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Numenius arquata. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 10/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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