Eskimo Curlew

Description

29-34 cm tall

70 cm wingspan

Long dark, greyish legs

Long bill that is curved slightly downwards

Upperparts are mottled brown

Underparts are light brown

Cinnamon wing linings can be seen in flight

Similar in appearance to the Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) but smaller

Similar in appearance to the Little Curlew (Numenius minutus) except that the Eskimo Curlew is slightly larger, has longer wings, shorter legs, and a warmer plumage tone than its counterpart

Life span is 7 years (Birds of the World)

Whistling sounds are used as calls (Bird Life International)

Delayed maturation (COSEWIC, 2009)

Breeding

Supposedly bred between the Bathurst Peninsula and Point Lake territories in Canada and Alaska, US

Breeding season was between May and August (IUCN Red List)

Nested in open artic tundra, upland grassy tundra areas with scattered trees, or on tundra or tidal marshes near the Arctic Ocean (NatureServe)

Also known to have nested between Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers (U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, 1980)

Small clutch of 1-4 eggs per season (Gill and Iverson, 1998)

Low reproductive potential (COSEWIC, 2009)

Habitat

This species depends on a few restricted habitat types over the course of their lifetime

Prairies, grasslands, and pampas

Treeless artic tundra (Data Zone-Birdlife International)

Grassy meadow habitats with birch and sedge between 180-335 meters

Burned areas within tall and mixed prairies

Tidal flats (Johnsgard, 1980)

Migration

Spring migration began in late February

Migrated across the Hudson Bay through places such as Labrador, New England, and the Caribbean to arrive in Argentina where they met in pampas grasslands

They may have also migrated to countries such as Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay

The return migration likely took place on the Pacific Coast, through Central America, across the Gulf of Mexico, to the Texas coast to travel north to the prairies of the United States

Fall migration took place between July and October where it favored ericaceous heath, pastures, and intertidal flats

Eskimo Curlews would fatten up in Labrador, Newfoundland, and New England for their transatlantic migration

The Eskimo Curlew's winter habitat was probably wet pampas, intertidal areas, and semi-arid deserts

This species may have also wintered in Patagonia between mid-October and mid-January since it is a semi-desert of shrubs and grasslands that may have been attractive to Eskimo Curlews (especially the murtilla berry that is similar to the crowberry that this species ate in Labrador) (Gill and Iverson, 1998)

On their return migration from March to May, Eskimo Curlews searched for burned areas in habitats with tall grass and mixed prairies

Grass prairies and pampas provided enough food and energy to facilitate long migration flights and Spring breeding (U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, 1980)

Population

At one time, the population probably numbered in the hundreds of thousands before the species went to decline starting in the 1870s

Diet

Crowberries (seen to be main source of food for transatlantic travel based on eyewitness accounts since many Eskimo Curlews were seen to eat so many crowberries--primarily in Labrador--that their feathers and beak were drenched in the purple juice of these berries)

Mountain Grasshopper (IUCN Red List)

Rocky Mountain Grasshopper (Lewis, 2018)

Tundra berries (Pearsall and Liebich, 2021)

Crickets

Grubs

Ants

Moths

Spiders

Snails

Earthworms

Freshwater insects

Seeds

Berries (NatureServe)

Murtilla

Cloudberries (Gill and Iverson, 1998)

Mollusks (Johnsgard, 1980)

Flocks

According to accounts from the 1850s, Eskimo Curlews liked to fly in large flocks

The tendency of this species to fly in large flocks along a narrow migration path led to gross estimates about their numbers (millions instead of hundreds of thousands) (Banks, 1977)

In flight, flocks of curlews sounded like sleigh bells (Pearsall and Liebich, 2021)

Market hunting drastically reduced the size of these flocks due to the fact that an entire flock would return to the aid of one of its fallen; leading to the killing of the entire flock

Hunters targeted Eskimo Curlews mainly to sell as food since they were seen as a delicacy in the late nineteenth century. This earned the species its nickname of the "Doughbird"

In terms of how overhunting played a role in the Eskimo Curlew's decline, Roger Latour (2012) said it best when he remarked, "It is said that whoever has two houses, loses their mind. Our great migrator [Eskimo Curlew] definitely had two houses [Fall and Spring migration] [and] both of them disappeared. However, it was in our stomachs that [the bird] vanished [and was] devoured. It was in our stomachs that they became lost" (Translated from the French by Nick Ortiz).

Last large flocks seen in 1890 over the Magdalen Islands and in 1900 (70-75 curlews) in Nebraska (Johnsgard, 1980)

Behavior

Eskimo Curlews have been know to be very tame and curious around humans. This is one of the reasons why they were easy targets for hunters (Melling, 2010)

Monogamous (COSEWIC, 2009)

Throughout the year, Eskimo Curlews interacted with American Golden Plovers (Pluvialis dominica) and Whimbrels

Eskimo Curlews shared their migration route with American Golden Plovers (Banks, 1977)

They interacted with Upland Sandpipers (Bartramia longicauda) on nonbreeding grounds

During their Spring migration, Eskimo Curlews interacted with Upland Sandpipers and Black-Bellied Plovers (Pluvialis squatarola) (Gill and Iverson, 1998)

Portrayal in Popular Media

In 1954, the novel, Last of the Curlews was written by Fred Bodsworth.

In 1972, this book was made into an animated childrens' movie by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The movie received several awards as well as brought the public eye to the importance of conservation and the precarious situation of the Eskimo Curlew (Gollop et al., 1986).

You can watch the movie here.

Listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List.

Even though organizations (such as The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service) currently list the Eskimo Curlew as endangered, the general consensus among researchers and conservation officials is that this species is extinct (Lewis, 2018).

In 1918, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act was put into law in the U.S. This ended the hunting of migratory shorebirds such as the Eskimo Curlew. Despite this, Eskimo Curlew populations were not able to recover their former numbers (Page and Gill, 1994).

In 1966, the Eskimo Curlew was one of the first species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Preservation Act (Pearsall and Liebich, 2021).

The Canadian government did a review of the Eskimo Curlew in 2007. They concluded that any recovery strategy for the species in Canadian territory was impossible since, at that time, no nests had been found for 140 years. They did not state that the Eskimo Curlew is extinct, only that a few might remain (Government of Canada).

In 2021, The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service started a five-year investigation into the Eskimo Curlew's conservation status (NatureServe).

The Eskimo Curlew is listed as an endangered species in Canada under the Species at Risk Act (2002), the Migratory Birds Convention Act (1994), the Endangered Species Act (1973) in the U.S, and is a protected species in Buenos Aires (COSEWIC, 2009).

Since 1912, max up to 25 Eskimo Curlews have been seen at one time. Most of the time it is one or two.

In 1912, 8 Eskimo Curlews were spotted in Labrador (Johnsgard, 1980).

On September 16, 1932, 4 Eskimo Curlews were seen at Long Island, New York by Robert Cushman Murphy in the morning. It is assumed that these curlews probably flew from Labrador (Johnsgard, 1980).

According to Gollop et al. (1986)., here are the areas where the Eskimo Curlew was sighted starting between the years 1945-1986 in the U.S, Canada, and the Caribbean as well as the areas and the number of curlews seen:

1945- 2 seen in Texas 

1946- 1 seen in South Carolina 

1947- 1 in New York 

1948- 4 in Oklahoma 

1950- 1 in Texas 

1955- a flock was seen in the Northwest Territories 

1956- 1 in South Carolina 

1959- 1 in New Jersey and 1 in Texas (Galveston Island where an Eskimo Curlew was seen feeding amongst Long-Billed Curlews)

1960- 1 in New Jersey and 1 in Texas 

1961- 1 in the Northwest Territories and 1 in Texas 

1962- 1 in Northwest Territories (Anderson River Forks, Fox Den Island, Observation Monument, Husky Bend) and 4 in Texas 

1963- 1 in Barbados and 1 in Texas 

1964- 4 in Northwest Territories and 1 in Texas (Galveston Island) 

1968- 1 in Texas (Rockport) and 3 in Ontario (Missisicabi River)

1970- 1 in Massachusetts (Plymouth Beach) and 1 in Ontario (Shagamu River)

1972- 2 in Massachusetts (Martha's Vineyard), 1 in Texas (Padre Island), and 1 in Ontario (Missisicabi River) 

1973- 1 in North Carolina (Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge)

1974- 1 in Ontario (Coastal Hudson Bay)

1976- 1 in Northwest Territories (Lac Rendez-Vous), 2 in Ontario (North Point) 

1977- 1 in Guatemala (Likin)

1980- 1 in Manitoba (St. Ambroise) and 1 in the Northwest Territories (Grassy Point) 

1981- a flock of 23 was seen on Atkinson, Island, Galveston Bay, Texas on May 7. The flock was seen feeding on a grassy spit that separated the bay from the marsh in the island's interior. At first, the observers thought they were Whimbrels until they saw the distinguishing faint light stripe above the eye and the slightly decurved bill; traits of the Eskimo Curlew. They also noticed that the bill was 1.5-1.75 times larger than the head and the birds were slightly larger than Dowitchers and resembled small Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa). When the flock saw the observers they flew away, revealing the cinnamon wing linings that are characteristic of the Eskimo Curlew. Black-Bellied Plovers flew beside the curlews to give a good size comparison. Both observers were familiar with Whimbrels and were unlikely to mistake them for the Eskimo Curlew (Blankinship and King, 1984).

1982- 1 in Saskatchewan (Monica Slough) and 1 in the Northwest Territories (Atkinson Point)

1983- 2 in Alaska (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) where an Eskimo Curlew was seen with a chick (Aves de Chile)

1985- 6 in the Northwest Territories (Kendall Island)

Here is a list of sightings of Eskimo Curlews in their wintering grounds in South America between the years 1913-1990:

1913- 1 in Iquique, Chile

1924- 5-6 Eskimo Curlews were spotted in Rosas, Buenos Aires, Argentina. One was captured and sent to the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales

1925- 1 in Argentina

1926- Another Eskimo Curlew was captured in Rosas, Buenos Aires, Argentina

1937-2-3 were seen in a prairie close to the city of General Lavalle near Buenos Aires, Argentina

1939- 1 was seen in the same prairie as the 1937 sighting near the city of General Lavalle close to Buenos Aires, Argentina (Ecoregistros)

1990- 4 in Cordoba, Argentina (Melling, 2010).

Between the years 1945-1968, 10 sightings of Eskimo Curlews were recorded in Texas. Seven of these were on Galveston Island between March 22 and April 29; dates that match the Eskimo Curlew's Spring migration (Blankinship and King, 1984).

In 1961, an Eskimo Curlew was spotted at the Anderson River Migratory Sanctuary in the Northwest Territories, Canada were part of the curlew's breeding range was preserved. 

In 1962, Don Bleitz took the only photos of the Eskimo Curlew on Galveston Island, Texas.

To see the photos he took, click here.

Bleitz's photos coincided with another sighting in Galveston, Texas during the 1960s. The witness was Victor Emmanuel who saw an Eskimo Curlew hidden among other small shorebirds. At first, he thought he was seeing an immature Whimbrel until he took a closer look at his field guide and realized what he was seeing was indeed a rare Eskimo Curlew. He remarked that it was like seeing a dinosaur (Lewis, 2018).

In 1963, just before an Eskimo Curlew was shot by a hunter in Barbados, a migrating pair of Eskimo Curlews was sighted in the same area as Bleitz's photos were taken: Galveston Island (Pearsall and Liebich, 2021).

The last specimen was a bird shot by a hunter on Barbados (September 1963), who mistakenly thought it was a Whimbrel (N. phaeopus) instead (Bond 1965).

Bond, M.W. 1965. Did a Barbados hunter shoot the last Eskimo Curlew? Audubon Magazine 67: 314-316.

Since the last Eskimo Curlew specimen was collected in 1963, there have been a series of unconfirmed sightings between the years 1981-2012 (ICUN Red List).

In 1981, a flock of 23 Eskimo Curlews was spotted at Atkinson Island, Texas. These sightings were never verified (Lewis, 2018).

Several sightings of Eskimo Curlews in the Beaufort Sea throughout the 1980s.

In 1987, there were several sightings of Eskimo Curlews across various areas in Canada (Lac Rendezvous, Northwest Territories) and the U.S (Sabine Pass, Texas, Mormon Island, Hall County, Nebraska, and North Haven Island, Maine). Four were seen in Texas.

In October 1990, 4 Eskimo Curlews were seen in Laguna Mar Chiquita, Cordoba, Argentina.

Two sighting in Keewatin, Northwest Territories, Canada on July 7, 1992 and in the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey on August 24 of the same year.

In 1995, 10 Eskimo Curlews were seen in Labrador (COSEWIC, 2009).

Sighting of three Eskimo Curlews in Southwestern Manitoba (Kilarney), Canada in May 1996 (NatureServe).

1 sighting in Kipling, Saskatchewan on May 20, 1996.

In 2002, there was an Eskimo Curlew sighting in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

In 2004, 1 Eskimo Curlew was sighted on Akimiski Island, Canada.

On September 24, 2006, 1 Eskimo Curlew was seen in Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia (COSEWIC, 2009).

The last recorded sighting of an Eskimo Curlew was on October 19, 2008 in Chile (Ciudad Punta Arenas in the Magallanes y la Antártida region) (Ecoregistros).

This species has an unknown population trend. If experts are correct in their assumption that the any surviving population of Eskimo Curlews is tiny, this population is migratory and could be anywhere within their vast migratory range that spans more than 20 countries. Another challenge is the fact that still much is not known about its migration since the Eskimo Curlew population declined at a time before scientists and ornithologists began to undertake detailed studies of them in the early 20th century. This makes any expedition to find the Eskimo Curlew exceptionally difficult because how can you find critically endangered birds if you do not know where they are?

Possibly extinct or vagrant in more than 20 countries such as the United States, Argentina, the UK, and Russia. (IUCN Red List).

Much of its main habitat in the Great Plains in the United States has been converted into farmland and one of the species' main food sources, the Rocky Mountain Grasshopper, is already extinct (Lewis, 2018).

Experts estimate that the Eskimo Curlew population began to decline in the 1870s and fell to such an extent that, by the turn of the twentieth century, the bird had already become rare (NatureServe).

By 1994, only 4% of the original prairie ecosystem that sustained large Eskimo Curlew populations remained intact in the U.S. Furthermore, most of the pampas in Argentina that served as the species wintering grounds have been turned into tree plantations and other forms of agriculture (Melling, 2010).

The conversion of spring wheat into winter wheat had a negative effect on the food available to Eskimo Curlews and affected their conditioning for breeding (COSEWIC, 2009).

Despite this, experts, such as Gill and Iverson (1998), recommend protecting whatever grassland habitats are left that would be attractive to Eskimo Curlews (especially those that are burned). Converting farmland back into grassland would also be beneficial not only for any surviving members of this species but also for shorebirds in general who face their own challenges during this era of intense climate change.

Factors that Prevented the Eskimo Curlew's recovery:

1. Low population size (fewer than 50 individuals)

2. Little chance of rescue from outside groups

3. The ongoing conversion of grasslands in Canada, the U.S, and Argentina into farmland that shows no signs of stopping.

4. Much of the Eskimo Curlew's known breeding range has bene taken over by its relative, the Whimbrel

5. The Eskimo Curlew's breeding areas in the Northwest Territories (Bathhurst Peninsula and areas near Point Lake) in Canada have been negatively affected by the introduction of diamond mining (NatureServe)

6. It is theorized that unfavorable weather, such as severe storms during overseas migrations, may have led to higher casualties and unsuccessful breeding seasons. This, combined with other factors such as hunting and habitat loss, negatively affected the Eskimo Curlew's ability to recover

7. Another theory is that a warming trend in the Arctic between the years 1800-1940 caused a recession of sea ice. This led to an atmospheric change that caused the Westerly Winds to intensify. Eskimo Curlews often used these winds on their migration path and it is hypothesized that the intensification of these winds blew many curlews off course to the Atlantic Coast and further east in places such as Britain (Banks, 1977).

8. Volcanic eruptions between the years 1883-1907 put a lot of dust into the atmosphere that prolonged winters in the Eskimo Curlew's breeding grounds and disrupted their nesting cycle (Page and Gill, 1994).

9. The conversion of prairie habitats led to the loss of grasshopper egg pods in cultivated lands. These pods, as well as the grasshoppers themselves, served as one of the main food sources that helped give Eskimo Curlews the energy needed to complete their long transatlantic migration (U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, 1980).

10. The conversion of prairie habitats combined with the onset of severe droughts in the Midwest (1870-1890) that further exacerbated the Eskimo Curlew's decline (Banks, 1977).

COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) conducted an Assessment and Status Report on the Eskimo Curlew in 2009. It has to following to say in terms of the challenges of identifying Eskimo Curlews in the present day, "Shorebirds are a notoriously difficult group of species to identify in the field. Because the Eskimo Curlew is easily confused with some other shorebird species, most sightings, even by those familiar with the species, are contentious and almost impossible to prove without photographic evidence and detailed field notes. Eskimo Curlews are most likely to be confused with Whimbrel and Little Curlew....Reports of curlews with short-bills during fall may be explained by the fact that Whimbrel chicks fledge before bill growth is complete....Moreover, because injuries prior to completion of bill growth can shorten bill length of adult Whimbrels, it is important to compare the relative body size of any “short-billed” curlews to other shorebird species" (COSEWIC, 2009).

COSEWIC (2009) lists the following species whose members are often confused for being Eskimo Curlews:

1. Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

2. Little Curlew (Numenius minutus)

3. Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda)

4. Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

5. Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus)

Out of the five, the Eskimo Curlew is the most similar in appearance to its relatives the Whimbrel and the Little Curlew. Below is a comparison of the three birds to make identification easier:

Height: Eskimo Curlew- 29-34 cm, Whimbrel- 37-47 cm, Little Curlew- 28-31 cm

Wingspan: Eskimo Curlew- 70 cm, Whimbrel- 75-90 cm, Little Curlew- 68-71 cm

Legs- Eskimo Curlew- short and dark grey, Whimbrel and Little Curlew- light grey

Beak- Eskimo Curlew- dark beak, Whimbrel and Little Curlew- mostly dark with yellow at the base of the beak

Upperparts- Eskimo Curlew- mottled brown, Whimbrel- greyish brown with some subspecies (N. p. phaeopus and N. p. alboaxillaris) having a white back and rump, Little Curlew- greyish brown

Underparts- Eskimo Curlew- light brown or cinnamon with a heavily barred breast and "Y" shaped marks on flanks, Whimbrel- white and light brown, Little Curlew- white and light brown

Primaries- Eskimo Curlew- unbarred, Whimbrel- barred, Little Curlew- unbarred (Bird Life International)

Wing Linings- Eskimo Curlew- pale to rich cinnamon, Whimbrel- grayish, Little Curlew- buffy

Wing Tips and Tail- Eskimo Curlew- wings tips go beyond the tail, Whimbrel- wing tips reach the tip of the tail, Little Curlew- wing tips reach the tip of the tail,

Toes and Tail- Eskimo Curlew- toes do not go beyond tip of tail in flight, Little Curlew- toes go beyond the tip of tail in flight

Crown Stripe- Eskimo Curlew- lacking/indistinct, Whimbrel- light-brown, Little Curlew- thin and pale

Central Head Stripe- Eskimo Curlew- none, Whimbrel- white and well-defined, Little Curlew- conspicuous, narrow, and white

Eye Stripe- Eskimo Curlew- faint, Whimbrel- well-defined, Little Curlew- well-defined

Loral Stripe- Eskimo Curlew- anterior of the eye, Little Curlew- base of the bill

Belly- Eskimo Curlew- rusty-yellow, Whimbrel- buff-white, Little Curlew- almost white

Markings- Eskimo Curlew- V and Y-shaped markings on breast and flanks, Whimbrel- streaked breast and flanks Little Curlew- finely streaked face and neck with a few chevrons on the flanks only

Relative Size- Eskimo Curlew- 2/3 the size of the Whimbrel, Whimbrel- 1/3 the size of the Eskimo and Little Curlew, Little Curlew- 2/3 the size of the Whimbrel (COSEWIC, 2009)

Plumage- Eskimo Curlew- brown and warm, Whimbrel- gray and cold, Little Curlew- brown and warm

Base of Lower Mandible- Eskimo Curlew- flesh-colored, pink, and less than half its length, Whimbrel- flesh-colored, Little Curlew- flesh-colored, pink, and more than half its length

Leg Color- Eskimo Curlew- dark green, dark brown, dark gray, or dark blue, Whimbrel- light gray, bluish, blackish-gray, Little Curlew- light gray or blue-gray

Posterior Leg Scutes- Eskimo Curlew- hexagonal and reticulated, Whimbrel- hexagonal and reticulated, Little Curlew- transverse

Weight- Eskimo Curlew- 270-454 grams, Whimbrel- 489-570 grams, Little Curlew- 119-274 grams

Stretched Length- Eskimo Curlew- 30-38 cm, Whimbrel- 38-48 cm, Little Curlew 28-31 cm

Tarsus- Eskimo Curlew- 40-46 mm, Whimbrel- 50-63 mm, Little Curlew- 46-54 mm

Bill- Eskimo Curlew- 42-65 mm, Whimbrel- 66-99 mm, Little Curlew- 34-48 mm

(Note on Bill Size: Experts, such as Townsend (1933), have noted that juvenile Whimbrels can have smaller bills (57 mm)

Bill/Head Ratio- Eskimo Curlew- 1.25:1, Whimbrel- 1.5:1, Little Curlew- 1.5:1

The best way to ID the Eskimo Curlew is to look for the lack of barring on the primaries and the cinnamon wing lining (Gollop et al., 1986)

Another key distinguishing characteristic is the plain, buffy underside on the primaries when the wings are spread (Townsend, 1933).

For a more detailed visual comparison between Eskimo Curlews and their relatives, click here.

Many experts are pessimistic about the chances that the Eskimo Curlew could still be out there, "When a species has been reduced to a few members, anything, no matter how small, might be enough to exterminate it. A river that floods its banks and destroys the few nests that remain, a late rainstorm, or any human activity such as pesticides would be enough. Nonetheless, how it happens is not important. The sad thing, it seems, is that the Eskimo Curlew has crossed the fragile threshold that separates endangered species from those that are extinct" (Translated from Spanish by Nick Ortiz) (Aves de Chile).

However, others are still optimistic and believe there is still hope for the Eskimo Curlew. According to Gill and Iverson (1998), "A small number of Eskimo Curlews may hold on. These extant individuals may be birds that have responded to new selective pressures and adjusted to the nearly overwhelming remake of their landscapes. But, if they exist, their numbers are so low that it might be difficult, indeed in some years impossible, to locate mates on the vast breeding grounds....A population with a relatively low reproductive rate (typical of all Numeniini) would require a long time to recover and would be highly vulnerable to any factors reducing the normally high adult survival rate."

It is important to investigate the potential overlap between the migration routes of the Eskimo Curlew and the Whimbrel. From what little is known about the Eskimo Curlew's migration patterns, their migration routes seems to coincide with that of the Whimbrel's at several points, especially in areas such as Northern Canada, the Southern United States, and the Caribbean where the last major sightings were recorded. Due to their similar appearance and smaller size, it is possible that Eskimo Curlews could be confused for immature Whimbrels. Indeed, this is what happened to Victor Emmanuel in the 1960s when he encountered an Eskimo Curlew. At first, he thought what he was seeing was an immature Whimbrel. However, after checking his field guides, he realized he was seeing an endangered species. This misidentification is likely to occur in areas where large flocks of Whimbrels congregate. In fact, every year around June or July, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and other organizations receive reports of Eskimo Curlew sightings. The vast majority of them end up being cases of mistaken identity where birdwatchers confuse immature Whimbrels for being members of the endangered species (Lewis, 2018). The probability remains that if a small Eskimo Curlew population survived until the present day, they could be hiding in plain sight within larger Whimbrel flocks that happen to frequent the same areas as the Eskimo Curlew in their migration routes. Experts, such as Pearsall and Liebich (2021), recommend a crowd-sourcing effort where an individual or organization posts on social media asking the public for help searching for the Eskimo Curlew. Any photos or accounts of sightings would be useful to investigate. There are also "shorebird festivals" where birdwatchers and researchers congregate to monitor shorebird populations. It is recommended that many photos be taken during these events and that any organization seeking to find this lost species consult experts that are very adept and identifying Whimbrels (especially juvenile Whimbrels) from other species of shorebird. While much remains unknown about the Eskimo Curlew and their migration patterns, investigating this overlap would be a good starting point for any expedition or project that seeks to find and protect this critically endangered species.

The Eskimo Curlew might also be flying or gathering among other species besides the Whimbrel during their Fall and Spring migration routes. This species has been known to interact with American Golden Plovers, Upland Sandpipers, and Black-Bellied Plovers. Researching the overlap between the migration routes of these three species with that of the Eskimo Curlew would be useful in find any surviving Eskimo Curlews.

From a perspective of citizen science, the best approach would be to get the word out and encourage birdwatchers and birders to investigate large gatherings of shorebirds. There they should take lots of pictures and record their sightings on eBird. It is possible that one of them may find an elusive bird like the Eskimo Curlew.

Here are some areas where Eskimo Curlews may still exist according to what is known about their migration routes:

Southern tip of Labrador

New England coast

Long Island, New York

Prairie belt from the coast of Texas and Louisiana to the north of South Dakota

Pampas from Buenos Aires south to the Chubut River (U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, 1980).

The population likely collapsed in the early 1900s and probably went extinct in the 1960s. Researchers and experts can only speculate since many of the migration, behavior, and population trends of the Eskimo Curlew remain unknown. The main cause of the Eskimo Curlew's sharp decline is due to habitat loss and, to a lesser extent, overhunting and the suppression of fires in mixed prairies zones (IUCN Red List).

A small population of Eskimo Curlews might exist within "remote arctic landscapes" (NatureServe).

Expeditions

The Travels of Roderick Ross MacFarlane

During his time as an agent for the Hudson Bay Company in the 1860s, Roderick Ross MacFarlane collected many specimens of Eskimo Curlews as well as found the last nest made by this species (including eggs) in 1866. A curlew nest was found near three areas: Fort Anderson, Lac Rendez-vous, and Langton Bay. Thirty-eight nestlings and twenty-eight eggs were collected and sent to the Smithsonian. According to MacFarlane and his local guides, the Eskimo Curlew bred in the Northwest Territories of Canada, Alaska, and perhaps even the Arctic Islands, Canada. According to MacFarlane, the Eskimo Curlew bred in wooded tracts (or what he called the "Barren Grounds") where the peak of hatching occurred between the last week of June and the first two weeks in July. From the years 1862-1865, MacFarlane noticed that the number of Eskimo Curlews were becoming more scarce.

The Canadian Wildlife Service began its first expedition for the Eskimo Curlew in 1958 but found nothing. The organization has searched annually for the bird since 1972 with little success.

The Barry Expedition

Between the years 1972-1984, T.W Barry led an expedition to find the Eskimo Curlew. He used helicopters and other technology to check out the places mentioned in the route MacFarlane took to find the curlew nests he found more than a century earlier. A main area of investigation was the Bathhurst Peninsula where the Eskimo Curlew was known to breed. Calls from the Little Curlew (a close relative of the Eskimo Curlew to the extent that some believe the latter to be a subspecies of the former) were used to try to elicit a response. They did not find any Eskimo Curlews but the calls did attract Whimbrels who investigated the calls out of curiosity. During their search, they identified three species of shorebird: the Whimbrel, the Lesser Golden Plover, and the Stilt Sandpiper. What surprised them is that they could not locate any Eskimo Curlews even though the breeding habitat had changed little since MacFarlane's time. They theorized that, originally, the nesting ranges of the Eskimo Curlew and their relative, the Whimbrel overlapped and the two were able to coexist. However, due to population decline due to market hunting in the late nineteenth century, Whimbrels moved in to take over Eskimo Curlew breeding areas. This could explain why Barry and his team were not able to find any Eskimo Curlews in their breeding range a century later (Gollop et al., 1986).

An extensive search of the Eskimo Curlew's wintering grounds was done in Argentina and Uruguay between the years 1992-1993. No Eskimo Curlews were found (Melling, 2010).

Extensive surveys were conducted by the Alaska Wildlife Fish and Game in 2003 in the areas where the Eskimo Curlews supposedly bred in the state. They failed to find any members of the species (COSEWIC, 2009).

The Eskimo Curlew's Migration Route

From what is known from eyewitness accounts, after breeding in the Northwest Territories of Canada and the Bering Sea coasts and Kotzebue Sound in Alaska, Eskimo Curlews began their Fall migration in July as they moved from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast before arriving in Labrador, Canada, east through Bermuda, passing through Brazil and Paraguay to winter in the pampas of southern Argentina and Uruguay. They arrived in Labrador at the end of July and arrived in their wintering areas in September. Much about their Spring migration route remains unknown. According to accounts, Eskimo Curlews were seen across Argentina and even further north in Nebraska during March. In May, they were seen from Alaska to Texas. During their breeding and Fall migration, Eskimo Curlews flocked to various habitats in several countries whether they be the grassy barren grounds in the Northwest Territories, the Kobuk River delta in Alaska, low hills interspersed with spruce trees in Labrador, or sterile mountainous tracts of Eastern Quebec. They also preferred headlands and hills near the sea as well as mud flats, sandbars, old fields, and grazed pastures. Eskimo Curlews were said to frequent these habitats in Massachusetts and Texas. They were also seen in the marshy pampas in Argentina, burned over prairies in Illinois and Nebraska, corn fields on Prince Edward Island, Canada. They were found roosting near beaches as they migrated from one area to another. As they fed, they made a continuous low-piping sound. They nested side by side with Golden Plovers (Gollop et al., 1986).

The Eskimo Curlew's winter quarters are practically unknown but specimens have been found in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile.

Below is a list of areas where Eskimo Curlews were known to frequent during the Fall migration:

Ungava, Quebec

Labrador, Newfoundland 

Southern Quebec (Magdalen Islands, Point Fortune, Point de Monts

Prince Edward Island

Nova Scotia

Manitoba

Maine

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Connecticut

Michigan

Ohio

Pennsylvania

New York

New Jersey

Maryland

South Carolina

Hudson Bay, Ontario

Bermuda

Turks and Caicos Islands

Barbados

Grenadines

Grenada

Trinidad and Tobago

Guyana

French Guyana

Suriname

Brazil (São Paulo and Mato Grosso)

Paraguay (Gollop et al., 1986)

In terms of the Eskimo Curlew's Spring migration, experts, such as Gollop et al. (1986), had this to say, "The route of the curlew's northward flight from Argentina to Texas is the greatest void in our knowledge of its range."

Based on research and conjecture, experts such as Johnsgard (1980), hypothesize that the Eskimo Curlew probably undertook a non-stop flight to the Gulf Coast from late February to early March. By mid-March they would be feeding at the coastal prairies in Texas and Louisiana. In late March and April they would be in the Great Plains in places such as Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska. By mid-May, the curlews would be in eastern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota before making another non-stop flight to the Northwest Territories in Canada. There the breeding season lasted from late May to early August. In late August, the Eskimo Curlews would begin their Fall migration with many flying to Labrador and the Atlantic coast with others retracing their spring route.

Nonetheless, according to anecdotal evidence, the Eskimo Curlew supposedly took a narrow migration route through the valleys of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Platte rivers as well as through the prairies of the Midwestern United States towards the Northwest Territories. Others took another route along the Atlantic Coast where a frequent stopover was Texas. Eskimo Curlews were abundant in stopover areas where they were hunted extensively (Melling, 2010). Eskimo Curlews were seen in these areas on its Spring migration:

Texas (regular stop on migratory route)

Louisiana

Oklahoma

Kansas

Missouri

Illinois

Nebraska

South Dakota

Western Minnesota

Saskatchewan

Northern Alberta

Indiana

Iowa

There were accounts of Eskimo Curlews being carried by storms to places far outside their range such as Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, and Britain (Gollop et al., 1986).

The American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) has been known to share a similar migration route as the Eskimo Curlew. American Golden Plovers were even seen to be flying alongside flocks of Eskimo Curlews.

The Eskimo Curlew could potentially be a vagrant to Britain due to anecdotal evidence of some members of the species being seen in years with harsh storms (Melling, 2010).

You can see a range map for the Eskimo Curlew here.

To see maps of the Eskimo Curlew's known breeding areas in the Northwest Territories and their wintering areas in South America, click here.

For a map of the Eskimo Curlew's known migration route, click here.

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Scolopacidae

Genus: Numenius

Species: Numenius borealis