{"id":45294,"date":"2017-03-02T05:58:04","date_gmt":"2017-03-02T12:58:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=45294"},"modified":"2025-11-18T15:28:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T21:28:03","slug":"listening-for-long-billed-curlews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/03\/02\/listening-for-long-billed-curlews\/","title":{"rendered":"Listening For Long-billed Curlews"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Long-billed Curlew in spring grasses – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

March came in like a gray lamb yesterday, it was supposed to be mostly sunny at 8 am and instead there were gray clouds with perhaps 3% of blue sky peeking through. Wish I could get paid for being so wrong.<\/p>\n

The first of March always makes me think of and listen for Long-billed Curlews, our largest shorebird of North America. Their preferred habitat during the breeding season includes shortgrass and mixed grass prairies, grasslands, agricultural fields along with marshes and playas.<\/p>\n

The male above was photographed on Antelope Island State Park<\/span><\/a> in Utah which is usually where I hear my first curlew calls of the year. I was out on the island yesterday but didn’t hear or see any curlews. Long-billed Curlews breed on the island and their calls will soon be heard there.<\/p>\n

Have a listen. <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Long-billedLong-billed Curlew preening near the wrack line – Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Long-billed Curlews winter in the coastal areas of the southern U.S along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as far south as Central America and as far north as coastal Washington state.<\/p>\n

I used to photograph Long-billed Curlews along the west coast of Florida while I lived there but I never saw them in the large numbers that I see them here in Utah. Last spring I saw a flock of 100+ while at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge near the Reeder Overflow, it was the largest flock I have ever seen. I wish I could have photographed them but the lighting condition was really poor. A group of curlews can be called a \u201cgame\u201d, \u201csalon\u201d, \u201ccurfew\u201d or \u201cskein\u201d of curlews, I kind of like the sound of a “curfew of curlews”.<\/p>\n

I always miss the curlews when they are gone and I admit to acting like a gleeful child when they return.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

If you would like to listen to a longer recording of Long-billed Curlews I have linked to this one<\/span><\/a>, I know some of you have mentioned how much you like these recordings.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The first of March always makes me think of and listen for Long-billed Curlews, our largest shorebird of North America. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":164110,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,1022,25,704,199,2000,26],"tags":[4004,4039,4808,4809,4070,4109,4038,6196,3997,4132,4062,610,9421,4133,9420,9417,4019,4017,3975,274,165,815],"class_list":["post-45294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-long-billed-curlews","category-pinellas-county-florida","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-beach","tag-curlew","tag-curlews","tag-female","tag-grasses","tag-grasslands","tag-handheld","tag-lagoon","tag-long-billed-curlew","tag-male","tag-marshes","tag-mixed-grass-prairies","tag-numenius-americanus","tag-playas","tag-prairies","tag-preening-2","tag-sand","tag-shorebird","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-spring","tag-wrack-line"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-grasses-mia-mcpherson-0324.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-bMy","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51346,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/03\/22\/long-billed-curlews-shorebirds-of-the-great-basin\/","url_meta":{"origin":45294,"position":0},"title":"Long-billed Curlews – Shorebirds of the Great Basin","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"It was one year ago today that I saw and heard my first Long-billed Curlews of the year and this morning as I sit here knowing there are cloudy skies outside I am wondering if the curlews have returned to northern Utah today as well.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Long-billed Curlew in the grasses on Antelope Island, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/long-billed-curlew-male-grasses-mia-mcpherson-0604.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/long-billed-curlew-male-grasses-mia-mcpherson-0604.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/long-billed-curlew-male-grasses-mia-mcpherson-0604.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/long-billed-curlew-male-grasses-mia-mcpherson-0604.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":67513,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/29\/long-billed-curlews-have-returned-for-their-breeding-season\/","url_meta":{"origin":45294,"position":1},"title":"Long-billed Curlews Have Returned For Their Breeding Season","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Two days ago I heard and saw my first of the season Long-billed Curlews while looking for birds to photograph in northern Utah and I could barely contain my excitement.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Long-billed Curlew foraging in mixed grasses, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-grasses-mia-mcpherson-2014.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-grasses-mia-mcpherson-2014.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I saw my first of the year Long-billed Curlews two days ago on Antelope Island State Park flying overhead. They weren't close enough to photograph but I know that soon I will have them in my viewfinder again.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Curlew walking the shore of the Gulf of Mexico at Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-shoreline-mia-mcpherson-6031.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-shoreline-mia-mcpherson-6031.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-shoreline-mia-mcpherson-6031.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-shoreline-mia-mcpherson-6031.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":101253,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/03\/31\/spring-long-billed-curlew-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":45294,"position":5},"title":"Spring Long-billed Curlew Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 31, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I spotted and pointed out this Long-billed Curlew foraging and calling in the grasses of the north end of Antelope Island State Park.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Alert male Long-billed Curlew in soft morning light, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-spring-mia-mcpherson-6441.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-spring-mia-mcpherson-6441.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-spring-mia-mcpherson-6441.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-male-spring-mia-mcpherson-6441.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}