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NWT Eskimo Curlew
Numenius
borealis
Description
 The Eskimo Curlew is one of the most elusive birds in North
America. This small shorebird is about the size of a pigeon.
The Eskimo Curlew has a mottled brown crown and a brown eye stripe. Its upper parts are mottled brown. Its belly and breast are buff-coloured. Eskimo Curlews have long legs and a long, slightly downward-pointed
bill. They are similar in size and colour to other shorebirds and are easily
confused with whimbrels and the Little Curlew.
Their historical breeding grounds in the NWT formed a
triangle from the Anderson River, along the coast to Kugluktuk, and down
to a point near Snare Lake.
Their wintering grounds were located in South America from about 30°S
to the tip of Argentina. There
have been no confirmed sightings of the Eskimo Curlew since 1962 at Galveston
Island, Texas.
Eskimo Curlew illustration reproduced courtesy of the Canadian
Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada.
Population Size
and Trends
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Prior to 1860, the Eskimo Curlew may have been one of the most
abundant shorebirds in North America. Historical population
estimates range between several hundred thousand and tens of
millions. Between the 1870s and the 1890s, the Eskimo Curlew
population declined dramatically.
By 1900, sighting an Eskimo Curlew was rare. There have been
occasional Eskimo Curlew sightings during the past 100 years,
including an unconfirmed report of 23 birds in Texas in 1981.
The last unconfirmed sighting in the NWT was on July 7, 1992 in
the southern Keewatin region.
The current population size is unknown but, if the Eskimo Curlew
is not extinct, there are likely less than 100 birds worldwide |
NOTE: Click on map for full view.
Distributions are approximate and not intended for legal use.
(JPG
= 1995 KB)
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.Habitat
Eskimo Curlews were barren-ground birds. During the breeding
season, they were found above the treeline.
In winter, they were found on the pampas in Argentina. They used
open grasslands in both summer and winter.
During their spring and fall migration, they used a variety of habitats.
They had an interesting migration pattern.
In the fall, they flew east to Labrador then straight down to South
America. In the spring, they flew up through Central America, across the
Great Plains through Saskatchewan and back up to the NWT.
Biology
Eskimo Curlews probably began breeding
during their third year and lived between 10 and 30 years. Nesting began
in mid to late-June and eggs usually hatched in mid-July.
On average four eggs were laid, which both parents incubated.
The fall migration took place between July and October. The spring migration occurred in April and May.
Berries and insects were the Eskimo Curlew’s main source of food.
Limiting Factors
Over-hunting during the last half of the 19th century was the most important factor causing the decline of the Eskimo
Curlew. They became popular game birds after the passenger pigeon disappeared. In the 1870s and 1880s, an estimated two million Eskimo Curlews were
killed every year during their annual migration. This high annual harvest reduced the population to a level so low that the curlews appear unable
to recover. The remaining birds faced competition from the whimbrel, which has replaced the Eskimo Curlew in its habitat.
Protection
The Eskimo Curlew is protected in Canada and the US by the Migratory Bird
Convention Act of 1917. They are internationally protected from trade in
live birds or bird parts by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES). They are protected
on their migratory and non-migratory grounds by the Convention for the Conservation
of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention) and the Convention
on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere.
COSEWIC designated the Eskimo Curlew
as Endangered in Canada in 1978 because of their low population.
In the NWT, Eskimo Curlews were protected from hunting and from disturbance
by the formation of the Anderson River Migratory Bird Sanctuary and the
Kendall Island Bird Sanctuary.
Recovery
The low numbers and elusiveness of the Eskimo Curlew make
any formal recovery plan all but impossible.
COSEWIC has recommended
against trying to breed Eskimo Curlews in captivity. This decision was made because it is not known what effects the
removal of individuals or eggs would have on such a small population or
how successful a captive-breeding program would be.
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