Beak of the Week – Long-billed Curlew

This week’s beak is nothing short of impressive. There’s a lot of information one can gather about a bird’s life simply by studying their physical characteristics; nonetheless, a bird’s bill often provides valuable insight into the species’ foraging and food preference. Raptors typically display a ripping/tearing bill, finches are equipped with a perfect tool for seed consumption, and seabirds are often able to carry marine prey long distances with their specially designed bills. Each species of shorebirds that show up on the vast Texas coastline each have a bill that enables them to perform the vital function of food consumption within their ecological niche. As the name suggests, Long-billed Curlews possess an oversized, decurved bill which is ideal for consuming deep-burrowing prey like shrimps and crabs as well as a variety of other food items.

Long-billed Curlews are the common large curlew of North America, breeding in the grasslands across western North America, and wintering from central California along the coast to Guatemala. Long-billed Curlews are year-round residents in and around High Island and are often observed at the Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. In addition to their remarkable bill, they are identified by their rich, cinnamon buff which the Paleartic curlews (Eurasian & Far Eastern) do not possess. Additionally, during breeding the birds are quite noisy, sharing their loud ‘cur-lee’, sharp ‘kee-he-he-he’, and ‘pill-will’ with neighboring birds and onlookers.

Like other shorebirds, Long-billed Curlews are known to feign injury in order to lead predators away from their eggs or chicks. The birds are often monogamous, breeding with the same mate year after year. The male displays with an undulating flight coupled with its loud, rising calls. Female birds are often larger than the males and have a noticeably longer bill. For both sexes, the bill’s end is controlled by separate muscles, acting much like a finger or tweezers. Because the bill has a lot of strengthening structures to prevent it from breaking, the birds are restricted from putting their tongue down the full length of their bill to grab prey and aid in swallowing. Instead, curlews often throw up their prey in the air before fully consuming it.

Formerly facing a market hunting threat, the most prominent threat to the Long-billed Curlew is habitat loss. This species relies on open grassland areas in order to breed; therefore, habitat conversion for agricultural fields and housing developments heavily impact these important areas. Additionally, invasive vegetation as well as pesticide use both pose major threats as important food sources during the breeding season like grasshoppers and other native insects diminish.

If you’re wanting to observe this incredi-bill bird, I would highly recommend a visit to our Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary where you can see Long-billed Curlews in action with some other wickedly cool shorebirds and waders.