Curlew (Eurasian Curlew)
Numenius arquata
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Distribution Britain 1,893 (-2.8%) Ireland 671 (-19.6%)
Numbers breeding: Britain 35,500 Ireland 12,000 European status: 135,000 (36% in Britain and Ireland =2) British population trend: declining (-26% CBC){-28%} How likely are you to record it? 927 squares (20.6%) Ranked 52 [44] |
Until 150 years ago these big waders bred only on upland moorland but then they started to colonise lowland areas. By 1900 they were nesting on Exmoor, the Lancashire Mosses, the New Forest Heaths and some downland. Further expansion took in river valleys and even agricultural land in areas like the Midlands. In the Scottish heartland the birds started to nest in lower areas over 70 years ago and now regularly nest in arable crops. In Ireland the birds were not common but they were widely distributed and apparently stable in the shannon Callows. In recent years there have been widespread reports of declines possibly due to drainage and the effects of agricultural intensification and predation. However this is not likely to be responsible for a very obvious loss from the south-eastern half of Ireland, the south-west peninsula and midlands of England and Pembrokeshire between the two atlases. Outlook not at all good.
The following Bird On! sketch is available:
Curlew
From
The
State of the Nations Birds
Copyright © 2000 by Chris Mead