Numenius tenuirostris

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

View Printer Friendly

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CHARADRIIFORMES	SCOLOPACIDAE

Scientific Name:

Numenius tenuirostris

Species Authority:

Vieillot, 1817

Common Name/s:

English	–	Slender-billed Curlew
French	–	Courlis à bec grèle
Spanish	–	Zarapito Fino

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered C2a(ii);D ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2010

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Calvert, R., Symes, A., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Cleeves, T., Buchanan, G., Smith, K., Gallo-Orsi, U., Crockford, N., Hilton, G.

Justification:
There are very few recent records of this species and sightings have become more and more infrequent, presumably as a result of declines caused by habitat loss and exploitation. No regular breeding, passage or wintering population is known, and the number of remaining individuals must be tiny. For these reasons the species qualifies as Critically Endangered.

History:

2009	–	Critically Endangered
2008	–	Critically Endangered
2004	–	Critically Endangered
2000	–	Critically Endangered
1996	–	Critically Endangered
1994	–	Critically Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Numenius tenuirostris has only been confirmed breeding near Tara, north of Omsk in Siberia, Russia, between 1909-1925. It migrates west-south-west from its presumed breeding grounds in Siberia through central and eastern Europe, predominantly Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and the former Yugoslavia to southern Europe, Greece, Italy, and Turkey, and North Africa, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. It has also been reported from Slovenia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Reports of birds wintering in Iran persist but require confirmation. Regarded as very common in the 19th century, it declined dramatically during the 20th century. Flocks of over 100 birds were recorded from Morocco as late as the 1960s and 1970s. However, between 1980 and 1990, there were only 103 records involving 316-326 birds², and from 1990-1999, this dropped to 74 records involving 148-152 birds², including a flock of 19 in Italy in 1995. Although there have been reports from Bulgaria, Ukraine and Uzbekistan of larger groups, most recent verified records have been of one to three birds, with the last confirmed record coming from Hungary in April 2001^12,15. In 1994, the population was estimated at only 50-270 individuals, but the paucity of recent confirmed records suggests it may now be lower than 50 birds.
Countries:	Native: Albania; Algeria; Azerbaijan; Bulgaria; Croatia; Greece; Hungary; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Italy; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Montenegro; Morocco; Oman; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Serbia; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Yemen Vagrant: Austria; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Canada; Cyprus; Egypt; France; Georgia; Germany; Israel; Japan; Kuwait; Latvia; Malta; Netherlands; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Poland; Portugal; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sri Lanka; Switzerland; United Kingdom Present - origin uncertain: Afghanistan; Czech Republic; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Population assumed to be tiny (<50) based on small number of recent records, most of which are of just 1-3 individuals.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

Population assumed to be tiny (<50) based on small number of recent records, most of which are of just 1-3 individuals.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour This species is migratory⁹. It is thought to breed in small colonies with nests between 2-3 m and 10-15 m apart⁹. Eggs have been found in May⁹. Early records often referred to the species as occurring in large flocks on migration and in winter. However it is now so rare that such flocks do not occur. The peak of the autumn migration appears to occur around September, with the spring migration peaking around March¹⁰. Habitat Breeding The only known nests were recorded in bog-forest transition zones¹⁰ on the northern limit of the forest-steppe zone in habitat more typical of taiga marsh. This may represent either a very specialised breeding habitat requirement, or an unusual use of habitat at the limit of the species's breeding range¹⁰. Non-breeding On migration and in winter, a wide variety of habitats are used, including saltmarsh, steppe grassland, fishponds, saltpans, brackish lagoons, tidal mudflats, semi-desert, brackish wetlands and sandy farmland next to lagoons. Where it winters inland it inhabits marsh areas fed with freshwater, but with areas of Salicornia indicating that the ground has a high salt content¹⁰. Diet There is little information on its diet: birds at Merja Zerga (Morocco) fed on earthworms and tipulid larvae, while elsewhere insects, molluscs and crustaceans have been recorded as prey. Breeding site The nest found by Ushakov in 1914 was constructed of dry grass with a few leaves of rush Scirpus but little or no sedge¹⁰. The known nests were situated on dry areas of sedge and bog moss some distance from willow scrub or birch grove¹⁰.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour This species is migratory⁹. It is thought to breed in small colonies with nests between 2-3 m and 10-15 m apart⁹. Eggs have been found in May⁹. Early records often referred to the species as occurring in large flocks on migration and in winter. However it is now so rare that such flocks do not occur. The peak of the autumn migration appears to occur around September, with the spring migration peaking around March¹⁰. Habitat Breeding The only known nests were recorded in bog-forest transition zones¹⁰ on the northern limit of the forest-steppe zone in habitat more typical of taiga marsh. This may represent either a very specialised breeding habitat requirement, or an unusual use of habitat at the limit of the species's breeding range¹⁰. Non-breeding On migration and in winter, a wide variety of habitats are used, including saltmarsh, steppe grassland, fishponds, saltpans, brackish lagoons, tidal mudflats, semi-desert, brackish wetlands and sandy farmland next to lagoons. Where it winters inland it inhabits marsh areas fed with freshwater, but with areas of Salicornia indicating that the ground has a high salt content¹⁰. Diet There is little information on its diet: birds at Merja Zerga (Morocco) fed on earthworms and tipulid larvae, while elsewhere insects, molluscs and crustaceans have been recorded as prey. Breeding site The nest found by Ushakov in 1914 was constructed of dry grass with a few leaves of rush Scirpus but little or no sedge¹⁰. The known nests were situated on dry areas of sedge and bog moss some distance from willow scrub or birch grove¹⁰.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Threats on the breeding grounds are unknown. Within its potential breeding range, the taiga has been little modified, the forest-steppe partially cultivated and much of the steppe modified by agriculture. Habitat loss in the wintering grounds is of unknown importance. There has been extensive drainage of wetlands in the Mediterranean and North Africa and potentially important areas in Iraq. The conversion of European wetlands and central European steppes to arable farmland may have heavily impacted the species in depriving it of important habitats during migration¹⁰. Historically hunting was high, and may have been the key factor in its decline. Following the initial decline, breakdown of social behaviour patterns may have prevented recovery. Historically a gregarious species, smaller groups or individuals may have difficulty in locating suitable stop-over sites on migration¹⁰. Individuals may join flocks of N. arquata, being led to unsuitable wintering habitat and rendered unlikely to find a mate¹⁰.

Major Threat(s):

Threats on the breeding grounds are unknown. Within its potential breeding range, the taiga has been little modified, the forest-steppe partially cultivated and much of the steppe modified by agriculture. Habitat loss in the wintering grounds is of unknown importance. There has been extensive drainage of wetlands in the Mediterranean and North Africa and potentially important areas in Iraq. The conversion of European wetlands and central European steppes to arable farmland may have heavily impacted the species in depriving it of important habitats during migration¹⁰. Historically hunting was high, and may have been the key factor in its decline. Following the initial decline, breakdown of social behaviour patterns may have prevented recovery. Historically a gregarious species, smaller groups or individuals may have difficulty in locating suitable stop-over sites on migration¹⁰. Individuals may join flocks of N. arquata, being led to unsuitable wintering habitat and rendered unlikely to find a mate¹⁰.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CITES Appendix I. CMS Appendix I and II. A Memorandum of Understanding, established under the auspices of the CMS, came into effect in 1994, and a working group was established in 1998⁴. An international action plan was published in 1996, and national action plans are in place in Italy⁸, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Several of the sites within the EU where the species has been recorded are designated as Special Protection Areas. There have been several international initiatives to survey passage and wintering sites^1,3,6 and potential breeding areas^4,5, collate records⁴, protect key sites, raise public awareness¹ and educate hunters. Details of a 'last push' to locate any remaining populations (focusing initially on surveys of historical wintering areas) were announced at the Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species in December 2008^11,13,14. Surveys across the potential non-breeding range (from Morocco, perhaps as far as Japan) took place in 2009-10 with a particular focus on wintering and potential moult sites¹². The Slender-billed Curlew Working Group has developed a tool kit to assist people to identify and report Slender-billed Curlew in the field. If any can be found and caught then the sites used during the annual cycle could be determined by satellite tagging. An attempt to narrow down the search for breeding and moulting sites using stable isotope analysis and Strontium analysis of museum skins commenced in 2002⁷; preliminary results suggest that the main breeding area may have been in Kazakhstan^8,12. Conservation Actions Proposed Continue to monitor key former and potential wintering and passage sites. Search for breeding grounds (taking into account results of stable isotope analysis). Attach satellite transmitters to captured birds. Provide training in species identification along the migration route. Promote protection of habitat. Provide legal protection for this and similar species. Increase public awareness.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix I. CMS Appendix I and II. A Memorandum of Understanding, established under the auspices of the CMS, came into effect in 1994, and a working group was established in 1998⁴. An international action plan was published in 1996, and national action plans are in place in Italy⁸, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Several of the sites within the EU where the species has been recorded are designated as Special Protection Areas. There have been several international initiatives to survey passage and wintering sites^1,3,6 and potential breeding areas^4,5, collate records⁴, protect key sites, raise public awareness¹ and educate hunters. Details of a 'last push' to locate any remaining populations (focusing initially on surveys of historical wintering areas) were announced at the Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species in December 2008^11,13,14. Surveys across the potential non-breeding range (from Morocco, perhaps as far as Japan) took place in 2009-10 with a particular focus on wintering and potential moult sites¹². The Slender-billed Curlew Working Group has developed a tool kit to assist people to identify and report Slender-billed Curlew in the field. If any can be found and caught then the sites used during the annual cycle could be determined by satellite tagging. An attempt to narrow down the search for breeding and moulting sites using stable isotope analysis and Strontium analysis of museum skins commenced in 2002⁷; preliminary results suggest that the main breeding area may have been in Kazakhstan^8,12.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Continue to monitor key former and potential wintering and passage sites. Search for breeding grounds (taking into account results of stable isotope analysis). Attach satellite transmitters to captured birds. Provide training in species identification along the migration route. Promote protection of habitat. Provide legal protection for this and similar species. Increase public awareness.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2010. Numenius tenuirostris. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided