Species: Numenius phaeopus

Whimbrel

Species

Birds

Show on Lists

Salish Sea-reliant birds

Terrestrial vertebrates: birds

Encyclopedia of Puget Sound

Classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Craniata

Class

Aves

Order

Charadriiformes

Family

Scolopacidae

Genus

Numenius

NatureServe

Source:
ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105017

Classification

Other Global Common Names

Maçaricão-Galego - Zarapito Trinador, Playero Trinador - courlis corlieu

Informal Taxonomy

Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Shorebirds

Formal Taxonomy

Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Charadriiformes - Scolopacidae - Numenius - American populations sometimes have been regarded as a separate species, N. HUDSONICUS, distinct from N. PHAEOPUS. Populations on Asian and North American sides of Beringia exhibit mtDNA differentiation consistent with species-level distinctness (Zink et al. 1995); because sample sizes were small, Zink et al. did not recommend a formal taxonomic change.

Ecology and Life History

Migration

false - false - true - In U.S. migrates northward along Pacific coast in March, along Atlantic coast March-May (Terres 1980). Most have departed breeding range by end of August. Migrants peak on Yukon-Kuskokwin Delta mid- to late July and late August. (Handel and Dau 1988). Migrates through Costa Rica August-September and mid-March to early May (Stiles and Skutch 1989). In fall, those that nest in Alaska and western Canadian arctic generally retrace spring route along Pacific coast (Johnson and Herter 1989). Migrates in flocks. Flys high during migration.

Non-migrant

false

Locally Migrant

false

Food Comments

Feeds on beaches and sand flats. Eats insects, worms, spiders, small mollusks, crustaceans (often crabs). Also eats berries. Probes mud and picks prey from surface.

Reproduction Comments

Breeding begins in early June. Usually 2, sometimes 3-5, eggs are incubated by both sexes, 22-23.5 days (also reported as averaging 24.5 days and as 27-28 days). Young are tended by both parents, can fly at about 30-40 days. Nesting density averages 0.1- 0.5 pairs/ha in various habitats in Manitoba (Skeel 1983).

Ecology Comments

Nonbreeding: scatters over foraging areas, may defend feeding territory (Hayman et al. 1986); aggregates for sleeping or resting (e.g., at high tide) (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Length

Weight

404

Conservation Status

NatureServe Global Status Rank

Global Status Last Reviewed

1996-11-25

Global Status Last Changed

1996-11-25

Other Status

LC - Least concern

Distribution

Conservation Status Map

Global Range

H - >2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles) - H - BREEDS: northern Alaska east to northwestern Mackenzie, south to western and central Alaska and southwestern Yukon, and along western side of Hudson Bay from southern Keewatin south to northwestern James Bay; Iceland, Faroes, and northern Eurasia east to Ob River, and from Yana River east across northeastern Siberia. NORTHERN WINTER: central California, Gulf Coast, and South Carolina south through Middle America, West Indies, and South America to Galapagos Islands, southern Chile, southern Brazil (important wintering areas in Suriname, north-central coast of Brazil, and Chiloe Island in Chile; Morrison and Ross 1989); south to southern Africa, Australia, islands of South Pacific (AOU 1983). Nonbreeders may summer in winter rnge.

Global Range Code

Global Range Description

>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)

ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105017