One of the 3 curlews on WAnimals
Birds · Charadriiformes · Scolopacidae
Bristle-thighed Curlew
Numenius tahitiensis
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
The bristle-thighed curlew breeds in a small strip of tundra in western Alaska and spends the winter spread across the atolls and islands of the tropical Pacific, from Hawaii to Polynesia. Its migration includes a non-stop flight of more than 4,000 kilometres over open ocean. It has an exceptional vulnerability: it is the only wader in the world that moults all its flight feathers at once and is left unable to fly for weeks.
Weight
310 g – 800 g
Size
40 cm – 44 cm
Lifespan
25 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Estimated population
Around 10,000 individuals
Fun facts
- It is the only wader in the world that loses the ability to fly while moulting: it renews all its flight feathers at once and spends several weeks on the ground on Pacific atolls, completely defenceless against introduced rats and cats.
- The young migrate alone: the adults leave Alaska weeks before the juveniles, which then cross thousands of kilometres of ocean on their own to islands they have never seen.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Tundra of western Alaska for breeding; tropical Pacific islands and atolls for wintering
- Sexual maturity
- 2.9 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 25 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 4
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numenius_tahitiensis
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Bristle-thighed Curlew — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Calidris pusilla
Great Spotted Kiwi
Apteryx haastii
VulnerableSnowy Owl
Bubo scandiacus
Rarotonga Starling
Aplonis cinerascens
VulnerableWeka
Gallirallus australis
How to help
The bristle-thighed curlew is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 6 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about bristle-thighed curlew.
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