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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)

-Hudsonian Whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus)


Whimbrels are large shorebirds with long, decurved bills. The Whimbrel has a distinct head pattern, with dark-and-light alternating stripes. The rest of its plumage is plain mottled-brown overall, and does not vary season to season. During breeding season, Whimbrels eat primarily insects. Later in summer, they also eat berries. Their migration and wintering diet consists of worms and grubs, crabs, and other small aquatic organisms. Fiddler Crabs are an important food during winter, and the shape of the Whimbrel's bill matches the curve of the crab's burrow.

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Numenius hudsonicus

Diet

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

  • Also feeds on small fish, berries, and seeds during migration and on the wintering grounds.

  • Forages by probing mud, sand, and shallow water with its long, down-curved bill.

Range

  • Breeds in subarctic Alaska and northern Canada.

  • Winters along the Pacific, Gulf, and Atlantic coasts from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and much of South America.

  • A common migrant and winter visitor to the Zihuatanejo region, where it is found on beaches, mudflats, estuaries, mangroves, coastal lagoons, and tidal flats.

  • Occasionally occurs inland at flooded fields and wetlands during migration.

Male / Female

  • Male: Brown, streaked upperparts with buff underparts, a bold dark crown divided by a pale central stripe, and a moderately long, down-curved bill. Slightly smaller with a shorter bill.

  • Female: Similar in plumage but generally larger, with a noticeably longer bill.

  • Sexes are best distinguished by size and bill length, as plumage is essentially identical.

Size

  • Length: 37–47 cm (15–19 in)

  • Wingspan: 75–89 cm (30–35 in)

  • Weight: 270–550 g (9.5–19.4 oz)

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