Numenius arquata

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 arquata

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Curlew, Eurasian Curlew
French	–	Courlis cendré

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Boschert, M., Kamp, J., Flensted, K., Raudonikis, L., Barter, M., Chan, S., Mischenko, A., Bragin, E., Sklyarenko, S., Copland, A., Fefelov, I., van Dijk, A.

Justification:
This widespread species remains common in many parts of its range, and determining population trends is problematic. Nevertheless, declines have been recorded in several key populations and overall a moderately rapid global decline is estimated. As a result, the species has been uplisted to Near Threatened.

History:

2004

–

Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Numenius arquata is widely distributed, breeding across Europe from the British Isles, through north-western Europe and Scandinavia into Russia extending east into Siberia, east of Lake Baikal. It winters around the coasts of north-west Europe, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, South-East Asia, Japan and the Sundas. It has a large global population estimated to number 765,000-1,065,000 individuals^28,29. The breeding population in Western Europe (220,000-360,000 pairs) has declined in recent years, with a 53% decline in the United Kingdom calculated over the period 1970-2005 from the Common Birds Census and the Breeding Bird Survey, and a 37% decline over the period 1994-2006 derived from the Breeding Bird Survey^33,34. A decline of 86% was calculated in Ireland between 1988-1991 and 2003^18,19 and declines have been recorded in Finland², Germany²⁰, Lithuania (20-30% per decade)²¹ and the Netherlands (31% since 1984²²). Unquantified, but potentially highly significant, declines have also been recorded in the central Asian populations of N. a. orientalis²³. In Denmark²⁴ and eastern Siberia²⁵ breeding populations are apparently stable and apparent increases in wintering populations in the Wadden Sea²⁶, on the Adriatic coast²⁷, in East Asia²⁸ and in Western Europe suggest that breeding populations, probably in European Russia and northern Siberia have perhaps increased. Overall, analysis of the compiled trend data indicate three generation (15 year) estimate of decline of between 26% and 34%^{2,19,22,28,29,30,31,32,33,34}. Owing to the uncertainty over whether declines in southern populations have been compensated by increases in northern populations, the global trend is suspected to fall within the band 20-30% declines in the past 15 years or three generations.
Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Benin; Bhutan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; British Indian Ocean Territory; Brunei Darussalam; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Cameroon; Chad; China; Comoros; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Djibouti; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; Faroe Islands; Finland; France; Gabon; Gambia; Georgia; Germany; Ghana; Gibraltar; Greece; Guam; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Hong Kong; Hungary; Iceland; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Liberia; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Maldives; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mayotte; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; Niger; Nigeria; Northern Mariana Islands; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Réunion; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Slovakia; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Viet Nam; Western Sahara; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Bahamas; Bermuda; Canada; Cape Verde; Central African Republic; Greenland; Lesotho; Niue; Sao Tomé and Principe; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; United States Present - origin uncertain: Andorra
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Wetlands International (2006); M. Barter in litt. (2007).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour Most populations of this species are fully migratory⁶ and breed from April to August⁷ in solitary territorial pairs⁸, occasionally also forming small colonies⁹. After breeding adults gather on coasts (from July onwards)⁷ for the post-breeding moult¹⁰ before migrating south to the wintering grounds between July and November⁶. The species departs its wintering grounds again from February through to May, although non-breeders may remain in the wintering areas all-year-round⁶. During the winter the species usually forages singly or in small groups⁶ occasionally aggregating into flocks of several thousand individuals, especially at roosting sites¹⁰. Habitat Breeding The species breeds on upland moors, peat bogs, swampy and dry heathlands, fens, open grassy or boggy areas in forests, damp grasslands, meadows⁶, non-intensive farmland in river valleys⁷, dune valleys and coastal marshlands⁶. Non-breeding During the winter the species frequents muddy coasts, bays and estuaries⁶ with tidal mudflats and sandflats¹⁰, rocky and sandy beaches with many pools^{8, 10}, mangroves, saltmarshes¹⁰, coastal meadows⁸ and muddy shores of coastal lagoons⁸, inland lakes and rivers⁶. It also utilises wet grassland and arable fields during migration⁶. Diet Its diet consists chiefly of annelid worms and terrestrial insects⁶ (e.g. Coleoptera and Orthoptera)⁸ especially during the summer⁶, although it will also take crustaceans, molluscs, polychaete worms⁶, spiders⁸, berries and seeds, as well as occasionally small fish, amphibians, lizards, young birds and small rodents⁶. Breeding site The nest is a shallow depression on the ground or on a mound⁹ in the open or in the cover of grass or sedge⁶ often far from water⁸. Management information A study into the effects of shellfish harvesting by hand in coastal intertidal habitats recommends that the harvesting load should be limited to <0.56 persons per 10 ha^-1 during this species's autumn migration¹⁷.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour Most populations of this species are fully migratory⁶ and breed from April to August⁷ in solitary territorial pairs⁸, occasionally also forming small colonies⁹. After breeding adults gather on coasts (from July onwards)⁷ for the post-breeding moult¹⁰ before migrating south to the wintering grounds between July and November⁶. The species departs its wintering grounds again from February through to May, although non-breeders may remain in the wintering areas all-year-round⁶. During the winter the species usually forages singly or in small groups⁶ occasionally aggregating into flocks of several thousand individuals, especially at roosting sites¹⁰. Habitat Breeding The species breeds on upland moors, peat bogs, swampy and dry heathlands, fens, open grassy or boggy areas in forests, damp grasslands, meadows⁶, non-intensive farmland in river valleys⁷, dune valleys and coastal marshlands⁶. Non-breeding During the winter the species frequents muddy coasts, bays and estuaries⁶ with tidal mudflats and sandflats¹⁰, rocky and sandy beaches with many pools^{8, 10}, mangroves, saltmarshes¹⁰, coastal meadows⁸ and muddy shores of coastal lagoons⁸, inland lakes and rivers⁶. It also utilises wet grassland and arable fields during migration⁶. Diet Its diet consists chiefly of annelid worms and terrestrial insects⁶ (e.g. Coleoptera and Orthoptera)⁸ especially during the summer⁶, although it will also take crustaceans, molluscs, polychaete worms⁶, spiders⁸, berries and seeds, as well as occasionally small fish, amphibians, lizards, young birds and small rodents⁶. Breeding site The nest is a shallow depression on the ground or on a mound⁹ in the open or in the cover of grass or sedge⁶ often far from water⁸. Management information A study into the effects of shellfish harvesting by hand in coastal intertidal habitats recommends that the harvesting load should be limited to <0.56 persons per 10 ha^-1 during this species's autumn migration¹⁷.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Breeding The species is threatened by the loss and fragmentation of moorland habitats as a result of afforestation^6,8 and of marginal grassland habitats as a result of agricultural intensification and improvement^6,8,16 (e.g. drainage, inorganic fertilisation and reseeding)¹⁶. The species also suffers from high egg and chick mortalities (due to mechanical mowing) and higher predation rates if nesting on improved grasslands⁶. Conversely populations in the central Asians steppes have declined following abandonment of farmland and subsequent increases in the height of vegetation, rendering large areas unsuitable for nesting. It has also suffered population declines as a result of hunting⁸, and is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus¹². Non-breeding Wintering populations are threatened by disturbance on intertidal mudflats^6,14,15 (e.g. from construction work¹⁴ and foot-traffic¹⁵), development on high-tide roosting sites, pollution⁶ and the flooding of estuarine mudflats and saltmarshes as a result of tidal barrage construction¹³. The species is also threatened by the degradation of migrational staging areas owing to land reclamation, pollution, human disturbance and reduced river flows¹¹. Local populations of this species have also declined owing to hunting pressures⁶.

Major Threat(s):

Breeding The species is threatened by the loss and fragmentation of moorland habitats as a result of afforestation^6,8 and of marginal grassland habitats as a result of agricultural intensification and improvement^6,8,16 (e.g. drainage, inorganic fertilisation and reseeding)¹⁶. The species also suffers from high egg and chick mortalities (due to mechanical mowing) and higher predation rates if nesting on improved grasslands⁶. Conversely populations in the central Asians steppes have declined following abandonment of farmland and subsequent increases in the height of vegetation, rendering large areas unsuitable for nesting. It has also suffered population declines as a result of hunting⁸, and is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus¹². Non-breeding Wintering populations are threatened by disturbance on intertidal mudflats^6,14,15 (e.g. from construction work¹⁴ and foot-traffic¹⁵), development on high-tide roosting sites, pollution⁶ and the flooding of estuarine mudflats and saltmarshes as a result of tidal barrage construction¹³. The species is also threatened by the degradation of migrational staging areas owing to land reclamation, pollution, human disturbance and reduced river flows¹¹. Local populations of this species have also declined owing to hunting pressures⁶.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway Annex II/2 of the EU Birds Directive. The European Commission have commissioned a management plan for the species which has been updated for 2007-2009. The species occurs in a large number of protected areas throughout its range and features in several national monitoring schemes. Conservation Actions Proposed The Management Plan for Curlew outlines key conservation targets: Protect key wintering sites. Determine the key perameters driving declines in breeding areas and integrate agri-environment measures to counter these. Continue monitoring trends. Minimise disturbance on the wintering grounds.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
Annex II/2 of the EU Birds Directive. The European Commission have commissioned a management plan for the species which has been updated for 2007-2009. The species occurs in a large number of protected areas throughout its range and features in several national monitoring schemes.

Conservation Actions Proposed
The Management Plan for Curlew outlines key conservation targets: Protect key wintering sites. Determine the key perameters driving declines in breeding areas and integrate agri-environment measures to counter these. Continue monitoring trends. Minimise disturbance on the wintering grounds.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Numenius arquata. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 February 2012.
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