Far Eastern Curlew
Numenius madagascariensis
- Family
- Sandpipers and Allies (Scolopacidae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The Far Eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) is a large wader most similar in appearance to the long-billed curlew, but slightly larger. It is mostly brown, differentiated from other curlews by its plain, unpatterned brown underwing, and brown rump. It is not only the largest curlew but probably the world's largest sandpiper, at 60–66 cm (24–26 in) in length and 110 cm (43 in) across the wings. The weight is 390–1,350 g (0.86–2.98 lb), which is equalled by the Eurasian curlew; females are on average about 100 g heavier than males.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to see it
Destination guides featuring this bird
- JJanuary: Good
- FFebruary: Good
- MMarch: Best
- AApril: Best
- MMay: Poor or no data
- JJune: Poor or no data
- JJuly: Poor or no data
- AAugust: Poor or no data
- SSeptember: Best
- OOctober: Best
- NNovember: Best
- DDecember: Good
- JJanuary: Poor or no data
- FFebruary: Poor or no data
- MMarch: Poor or no data
- AApril: Best
- MMay: Best
- JJune: Poor or no data
- JJuly: Poor or no data
- AAugust: Good
- SSeptember: Best
- OOctober: Best
- NNovember: Poor or no data
- DDecember: Poor or no data
Range and habitat
Breeds inland wetlands from east-central Siberia to Kamchatka and Ussuriland (southeastern Russia) and Heilongjiang (northeastern China); winters to Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand (scarce).
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Continents
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Far Eastern curlew
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
