Curlew Sandpiper Bird Species:

The curlew sandpiper is a rather small wader bird that is found mainly in the tundra regions of Arctic Siberia. Wader birds are essentially very long - legged wading birds much like herons and storks. The majority of wader birds are associated with the wetland or coastal environments, and are closely related to seabirds. The sandpiper family of birds includes a number of varieties – of which the most common happen to be the snipe sandpiper and curlew sandpiper. These waders use their long legs and slender bills in order to feed on the small invertebrates living on the shores. The average size of curlew sandpiper is about 19.5 to 21 centimeters in length and they have a long neck as well as a down curved bill. These two characteristics are the ones that help a trained eye distinguish between the curlew sandpiper and another very similar bird known as the Dunlin. Some of the common features in both of these birds include black legs and de-curved black bills. The adult curlew sandpiper has patterned – dark grey under parts as well as brick reed under parts. During the winter seasons, however, the bird will have a pale grey coat above while a shade of white below.

The curlew sandpiper will perform an aerial display for its prospective mate during courtship. The males are polygamous and those that display on the best territories tend to have more than one mate. Unlike a number of sandpiper varieties, the curlew sandpiper male does not assist in incubation of the eggs. The eggs are usually laid in clutches of about 3 to 4 in ground scrape in the tundra regions and incubated for a period of 21 days. Although the Curlew sandpiper will breed mainly in northern Asia, it is known to stray to many parts of the world that are not considered to be regions of natural habitat.

The primary diet of curlew sandpiper includes worms, snails and insects that are foraged with the help of its bill probing in the mud. As with any variety of bird, the call is one of the most distinct features of the type and help significantly in identification. The common calls of the curlew sandpipers are a rather pleasant ‘chirrup’ or ‘chirrup’ while in flight. When the bird needs to sound an alarm, it will voice a sound similar to ‘wick – wick – wick’. The males are known to sing while flying over breeding grounds.