General

Eskimo Curlew: Small curlew with strongly marked underparts and pale cinnamon wing linings. Bill is moderately short and not as strongly curved as similar curlews. Crown has two dark stripes. Wings noticeably long on perched bird. Sexes similar. Juvenile nearly identical to adult.

Range and Habitat

Eskimo Curlew: Breeds in the far northern reaches of Canada then passes very swiftly through the Great Plains states to and from its wintering ground in South America.

Breeding and Nesting

Eskimo Curlew: Made simple scrape on ground on barren tundra where it laid four brown spotted, olive eggs. No information available on other aspects of its breeding cycle.

Foraging and Feeding

Eskimo Curlew: Probed for insects in grasses and soil. Thought to have favored the now extinct Rocky Mountain grasshopper but would also have eaten other insects and berries. Formerly fed on open ground left by prairie fires.

Vocalization

Eskimo Curlew: Mellow, clear whistles.

Similar Species

Eskimo Curlew: Extremely similar Whimbrel is a bit larger with a longer, more curving bill, and has white wing linings. Little Curlew has a stout, orange-based bill and fine streaks on its underparts rather than chevrons. Bristle-thighed Curlew is larger and has a clear orange patch on its rump.