Thai National Parks

Species of Thailand

Little curlew

Numenius minutus

John Gould, 1841

In Thai: นกอีก๋อยจิ๋ว

The little curlew (Numenius minutus) is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. It is a very small curlew, which breeds in the far north of Siberia. It is closely related to the North American Eskimo curlew.

The word "curlew" is imitative of the Eurasian curlew's call, but may have been influenced by the Old French corliu, "messenger", from courir , "to run". It was first recorded in 1377 in Langland's Piers Plowman. The genus name Numenius is from Ancient Greek noumenios, a bird mentioned by Hesychius. It is associated with the curlews because it appears to be derived from neos, "new", and mene, "moon", referring to the crescent-shaped bill. The species name is from Latin minutus, "small".

This is a strongly migratory species, wintering in Australasia. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe, including once in Blankenberge, Belgium, in September 2010.

This bird breeds in loose colonies in forest clearings in river valleys. The nest is a ground scrape. It winters inland on grassland, cultivation or near fresh water, mainly in northern Australia but also as far south as St Kilda, South Australia. It is gregarious, forming sizeable flocks. This species feeds by probing soft mud for small invertebrates.

It is mainly greyish brown, including the underwings, with a white belly, and a short, for a curlew, curved bill. It has a head pattern like a Eurasian whimbrel, with crown and superciliary stripes. The call is a repetitive whistle.

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Category / Seasonal Status

Wiki listed status (concerning Thai population): Very rare passage migrant

BCST Category: Recorded in an apparently wild state within the last 50 years

BCST Seasonal status: Non-breeding visitor

Scientific classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Scolopacidae
Genus
Numenius
Species
Numenius minutus

Common names

  • English:
    • Little curlew
    • Little whimbrel
  • French: Courlis nain
  • Thai: นกอีก๋อยจิ๋ว

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN3.1)

Least Concern (IUCN3.1)

Photos

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Little curlew

Range Map

Distribution map of Little curlew, Numenius minutus in Thailand
  • Bangkok Coast
  • Samut Prakan Coast
  • Samut Sakhon Coast
Range map of Numenius minutus in Thailand