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Birds of Zihuatanejo

CLASS AVES

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Birds (Class Aves)

-Shorebirds and Allies (Order Charadriiformes)

-Sandpipers and Allies (Family Scolopacidae)

-Curlews (Genus Numenius)

-Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)


The Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) is renowned for its extraordinarily long, down-curved bill and striking appearance. It belongs to the Scolopacidae family and is primarily found in grasslands, coastal mudflats, and estuaries. The Long-billed Curlew is an opportunistic feeder. In Grasslands: It primarily consumes insects, grasshoppers, beetles, and other invertebrates. In Coastal Areas: It uses its long bill to probe deep into mud and sand to catch crabs, shrimp, and marine worms.

Long-billed Curlew

Numenius americanus

Diet

  • Primarily crabs, shrimp, marine worms, insects, insect larvae, spiders, and other invertebrates.

  • Also feeds on small fish, molluscs, frogs, lizards, and occasionally berries and seeds.

  • Uses its exceptionally long, down-curved bill to probe deep into mud, sand, and grasslands for hidden prey.

Range

  • Breeds in the grasslands of the western United States and southern Canada.

  • Winters along the Pacific, Gulf, and Atlantic coasts, from the southern United States through Mexico, with smaller numbers reaching Central America.

  • A regular winter visitor to the Zihuatanejo region, where it frequents beaches, estuaries, mudflats, coastal lagoons, salt marshes, and occasionally nearby agricultural fields.

  • Prefers open coastal habitats during the non-breeding season.

Male / Female

  • Male: Buff-coloured with cinnamon underwings, dark streaking on the upperparts, and a long down-curved bill. Slightly smaller, with a noticeably shorter bill than the female.

  • Female: Similar in plumage but larger, with a much longer bill, allowing her to probe deeper for prey.

  • The sexes are best distinguished by bill length and overall size.

Size

  • Length: 50–65 cm (20–26 in)

  • Wingspan: 76–100 cm (30–39 in)

  • Weight: 490–950 g (1.1–2.1 lb)

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