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Encyclopedia > Eskimo curlew
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Eskimo Curlew
Conservation status: Critical
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Numenius
Species: N. borealis
Binomial name
Numenius borealis
(Forster, 1772)

The Eskimo Curlew or Northern Curlew, Numenius borealis, is (or possibly was) a medium-sized shorebird. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Subregnum Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascideiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Many - see section below. ... Families Thinocoridae Pedionomidae Scolopacidae Rostratulidae Jacanidae Chionididae Burhinidae Haematopodidae Recurvirostridae Ibidorhynchidae Charadriidae Pluvianellidae Dromadidae Glareolidae Stercorariidae Rhynchopidae Laridae Sternidae Alcidae Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. ... Genera Actitis Aphriza Arenaria Bartramia Calidris Catoptrophorus Coenocorypha Eurynorhynchus Gallinago Heterosceles Limicola Limnodromus Limosa Limnocryptes Numenius Steganopus Phalaropus Philomachus Prosobonia Scolopax Tringa Tryngites Xenus The Scolopacidae are a large family of waders, (known as shorebirds in North America). ... Genera Numenius Bartramia Numenius redirects here. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is a standard convention used for naming species. ... Johann Reinhold Forster (October 22, 1729 - December 9, 1798) was a Polish born naturalist of German descent. ... Families Charadridae Jacanidae Rostratulidae Ibidorhynchidae Recurvirostridae Haematopodidae Scolopacidae Dromadidae Burhinidae Glareolidae Thinocoridae Waders, called Shorebirds in North America (where wader is used to refer to long-legged wading birds such as storks and herons), are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. ...


Adults have long dark greyish legs and a long bill curved slightly downwards. The top parts are mottled brown and the underparts are light brown. They show cinnamon wing linings in flight. They are similar in appearance to the Whimbrel, but smaller in size. Binomial name Numenius phaeopus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. ...


Eskimo Curlew forms a species pair with the Asian Little Curlew, Numenius minutus, but is slightly larger, longer-winged, shorter legged and warmer in plumage tone than its close relative. World map showing location of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of Eurasia, defined by subtracting Europe from Eurasia. ... Binomial name Numenius minutus Gould, 1841 The Little Curlew, Numenius minutus, is a wader in the large bird family Scolopacidae. ...


Their breeding habitat is the tundra of western arctic Canada and Alaska. Nests are located in open areas on the ground and are difficult to locate. State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski (R) Senators Ted Stevens (R) Lisa Murkowski (R) Official languages English Area 1,067,653 mi² / 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 1,481,347 km²  - Water...


Eskimo Curlews migrate to Argentina. They were formerly very rare vagrants to western Europe, but there have, of course, been no recent records. // Long-distance land bird migration Many species of land birds migrate very long distances, the most common pattern being for birds to breed in the temperate or arctic northern hemisphere and winter in warmer regions, often in the tropics or the southern hemisphere. ... World map showing Europe (geographically) When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ...


These birds pick up food by sight, also feeding by probing. They mainly eat berries and insects, also snails during migration.


At one time, the Eskimo Curlew may have been one of the most numerous shorebirds in North America with a population in the millions. As many as 2 million birds per year were killed near the end of the 19th century. The last confirmed sighting was in 1962 in Texas; with a specimen collected in Barbados in 1963. There was an unconfirmed report of 23 birds in Texas in 1981, and more recent additional unconfirmed reports from Texas, Canada, and Argentina. This bird is certainly at risk, if not already extinct. Jump to: navigation, search World map showing North America (geographically) A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and... ... In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of taxons. ...


A comparison of dates and migratory patterns leads to the conclusion that Eskimo curlews and American Golden plovers were the most likely shore birds to have attracted the attention of Christopher Columbus to nearby land after 65 days at sea out of sight of land on his first voyage. In the 1800's millions of Eskimo Curlew followed migration routes from the present Yukon and Northwest Territories, flying east along the northern shore of Canada, then south to South America in the winter. Binomial name Pluvialis dominica (Statius Muller, 1776) The American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) is a medium-sized plover. ... Christopher Columbus (conjectural image) For information about the film director, see the article on Chris Columbus. ... Motto: none Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Whitehorse Largest city Whitehorse Commissioner Jack Cable Premier Dennis Fentie (Yukon Party) Area 482,443 km² (9th)  - Land 474,391 km²  - Water 8,052 km² (1. ... Motto: None Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Yellowknife Largest city Yellowknife Commissioner Tony Whitford Premier Joe Handley (Consensus government - no party affiliations) Area 1,346,106 km² (3rd) Land 1,183,085 km² Water 163,021 km² (12. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...


The plight of this bird inspired the novel (and subsequent animated film) Last of the Curlews. Last of the Curlews is a novel, a fictionalized account of the life of the last Eskimo Curlew. ...


External link

  • USGS Eskimo Curlew site
  • Columbus and the curlews

  Results from FactBites:
 
Canadian Biodiversity: Eskimo Curlew (5147 words)
Although the Eskimo curlew is not considered to be extinct, it is referred to in all current literature in the past tense.
Eskimo curlews have also been seen in association with Whimbrels, and this was particularly noted in the 1900s when the Eskimo curlew numbers had drastically declined.
In the breeding grounds, the Eskimo curlew nested primarily in open areas of tundra; the transition zone to spruce south of the tundra, described as lichen woodland, was another nesting habitat.
Marine Birds - Eskimo Curlew (1120 words)
Although the Eskimo curlew was hunted for food, and its skin and eggs were sought by collectors throughout the 19th century, it was not until after the passenger pigeon had been hunted to near-extinction in the 1870s that settlers began to kill the curlew in vast numbers.
Eskimo curlews, which migrated in flocks of thousands and could cover 50 acres of ground when they landed, were called "prairie pigeons" – highlighting their similarity to the passenger pigeon, and foreshadowing their similar fate.
Most unfortunately of all, Eskimo curlews were good to eat- their dark meat was described as "tender, juicy, and finely flavored", was "considered by epicures the finest eating of any of our birds" and was "far surpassing any of our English game in richness and flavour".
  More results at FactBites »


 

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