What is Eurasian Whimbrel?

About Eurasian Whimbrel:

• It is a wading bird in the large family Scolopacidae.
• Scientific Name: Numenius phaeopus
• Distribution:
  • They have an extensive range that spans across five continents: North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.
  • They breed in the subarctic regions of Siberia and Alaska during the summer months before migrating south to wintering grounds in southern USA, Central America, South America, Africa, and South Asia, including Nepal.
• Habitat: Winters mainly along the coastline, coastal wetlands, mangroves, marshes, and larger rivers.
• Features:
  • A fairly large greyish-brown bird with a long, decurved bill with a kink.
  • It has a distinct head pattern with dark eye-stripes and crown-sides.
  • It is mottled dark brown above, pale below, with much brown streaking on the throat and breast. 
  • Generally solitary when nesting, the Whimbrel tends to become gregarious outside of the breeding season. 
  • Whimbrels are known for their high-pitched call consisting of a repetitive series of seven notes.
• Conservation Status: 

IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Q1: What is a wading bird?

A wading bird is a long-legged bird, such as a crane, heron, or stork, that frequents shallow water, especially in search of food.

Source: Chhattisgarh gets a rare sighting of GPS-tagged long-distance migratory bird ‘whimbrel’

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