Numenius borealis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CHARADRIIFORMES	SCOLOPACIDAE

Scientific Name:

Numenius borealis

Species Authority:

(Forster, 1772)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Eskimo Curlew
Spanish	–	Chorlito Esquimal, Chorlo Polar, Zarapito Boreal, Zarapito Esquimal, Zarapito Polar

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered D ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Symes, A., Butchart, S., Bird, J.

Contributor/s:

Clay, R., Gill, R., Parr, M., Hoffman, R., Gratto-Trevor, C., Crockford, N.

Justification:
This species has not been recorded with certainty since the early 1980s (and none have been confirmed on the wintering grounds since 1939). It was formerly abundant, but declined rapidly over a century ago as a result of hunting and habitat loss. However, it cannot yet be presumed to be Extinct until all potential breeding areas have been surveyed, and the series of occasional unconfirmed reports ceases. Any remaining population is likely to be tiny, and for these reasons it is treated as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct).

History:

2008	–	Critically Endangered
2004	–	Critically Endangered
2000	–	Critically Endangered
1996	–	Critically Endangered
1994	–	Critically Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Numenius borealis bred at (and presumably between) the Bathurst peninsula and Point Lake in Northwest Territories, Canada², and perhaps also Alaska, USA. Birds migrated across Hudson Bay to Labrador (and New England, USA), and through the Caribbean to Argentina (especially the Pampas), and possibly Uruguay, Paraguay⁴, southernmost Brazil and Chile south to Patagonia². The return migration was probably along the Pacific coast, through Central America, across the Gulf of Mexico to the Texas coast and northwards through the prairies. It probably numbered hundreds of thousands, but declined rapidly in the 1870s-1890s to become very rare in the 20th century². The last irrefutable record was of a specimen collected in Barbados in 1963. Since then there have been no confirmed records (none from the wintering grounds in South America since 1939), only several unconfirmed reports during 1981-2006^2,5,6,7,9. The population (if one persists) must be tiny².
Countries:	Possibly extinct: Argentina; Brazil; Canada; Chile; Paraguay; United States
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Any remaining population is assumed to be tiny, as there have been no confirmed sightings since the early 1980s.

Population:

Any remaining population is assumed to be tiny, as there have been no confirmed sightings since the early 1980s.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It bred (May-August) in treeless arctic tundra at 180-335 m, comprising grassy meadows with birch (Betula) and sedge (Carex)². On autumn migration (July-October), it favoured ericaceous heath, crowberries Empetrum nigrum, pastures and intertidal flats². Winter habitat was possibly wet pampas grasslands, intertidal and semi-desert areas². On return migration (March-May), it favoured burnt areas in tall grass and mixed-grass prairies, and rocky mountain grasshopper Melanoplus spretus was a key food source². It was gregarious, with traditional autumn migration sites².
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It bred (May-August) in treeless arctic tundra at 180-335 m, comprising grassy meadows with birch (Betula) and sedge (Carex)². On autumn migration (July-October), it favoured ericaceous heath, crowberries Empetrum nigrum, pastures and intertidal flats². Winter habitat was possibly wet pampas grasslands, intertidal and semi-desert areas². On return migration (March-May), it favoured burnt areas in tall grass and mixed-grass prairies, and rocky mountain grasshopper Melanoplus spretus was a key food source². It was gregarious, with traditional autumn migration sites².

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Large-scale spring hunting in North America partially explains the species's near-extinction, but there was no recovery after hunting was outlawed and abandoned in c.1916². The main cause is almost certainly the near total loss of prairies to agriculture, compounded by the suppression of prairie wildfires and the extinction of M. spretus². The widespread conversion of the pampas began after the main decline, but has hindered any possible recovery².

Major Threat(s):

Large-scale spring hunting in North America partially explains the species's near-extinction, but there was no recovery after hunting was outlawed and abandoned in c.1916². The main cause is almost certainly the near total loss of prairies to agriculture, compounded by the suppression of prairie wildfires and the extinction of M. spretus². The widespread conversion of the pampas began after the main decline, but has hindered any possible recovery².

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CITES Appendix I. CMS Appendix I and II. It is protected in the USA, Canada, Argentina and Mexico. Its status has been fully documented, and identification details publicised². Breeding and wintering areas have been surveyed, and reported breeding sites investigated^1,2,3. An Environment Canada species recovery plan recommends that no recovery action be undertaken other than continued monitoring of reported sightings⁸. Conservation Actions Proposed Continue cooperative international assessments of historical sites^1,3. Survey heath tundra along the Labrador coast during August-September and historic breeding grounds prior to the initiation of development projects³. Investigate any credible sightings³. Expand prairie habitat, and employ prescribed burnings³.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix I. CMS Appendix I and II. It is protected in the USA, Canada, Argentina and Mexico. Its status has been fully documented, and identification details publicised². Breeding and wintering areas have been surveyed, and reported breeding sites investigated^1,2,3. An Environment Canada species recovery plan recommends that no recovery action be undertaken other than continued monitoring of reported sightings⁸.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Continue cooperative international assessments of historical sites^1,3. Survey heath tundra along the Labrador coast during August-September and historic breeding grounds prior to the initiation of development projects³. Investigate any credible sightings³. Expand prairie habitat, and employ prescribed burnings³.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Numenius borealis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 08 February 2012.
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