{"id":81412,"date":"2021-03-14T06:12:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-14T12:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=81412"},"modified":"2025-11-18T17:23:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T23:23:00","slug":"long-billed-curlews-spring-birds-i-look-forward-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/14\/long-billed-curlews-spring-birds-i-look-forward-to\/","title":{"rendered":"Long-Billed Curlews – Spring Birds I look Forward To"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Long-billed Curlews fighting on their breeding grounds \u2013 Nikon D300, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 6400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 321mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Spring birds I look forward to seeing and hearing include Long-billed Curlews which should be arriving in northern Utah any day now if they haven’t already shown up. Quite often I hear these large, long-billed, graceful shorebirds calling<\/span><\/a> before I see them. I love listening to their calls.<\/p>\n

These shorebirds breed in northern Utah where I find them frequently on Antelope Island State Park, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Farmington Bay WMA, and other areas of the state. I also see them in Idaho and Montana. Their preferred habitat during the breeding season includes shortgrass and mixed grass prairies, agricultural fields, marshes, and playas.<\/p>\n

\"SpringSpring adult male Long-billed Curlew \u2013 Nikon D810, f8, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This morning I can’t recall the earliest date I have seen or heard Long-billed Curlews but I know that they should be arriving soon on their breeding grounds.<\/p>\n

In the very near future I will see the males sparring on their breeding grounds while the females watch from nearby. I’ll observe both sexes as they forage, preen, and rest.<\/p>\n

Spring is a time when there are birds arriving that I haven’t seen throughout winter and that is pretty exciting for me.<\/p>\n

It is drizzling rain here this morning but the clouds appear to be clearing. Who knows, perhaps I will see or hear my first Long-billed Curlew of the year today.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Long-billed Curlew photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spring birds I look forward to seeing and hearing include Long-billed Curlews which should be arriving in northern Utah\u00a0 any day now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":164151,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,199],"tags":[4004,5831,4808,4809,779,4337,4109,4132,4062,7025,4133,274,1359,165,5418],"class_list":["post-81412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-long-billed-curlews","tag-adult","tag-breeding-grounds","tag-curlew","tag-curlews","tag-displaying","tag-fighting","tag-grasses","tag-long-billed-curlew","tag-male","tag-mating-season","tag-numenius-americanus","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-sparring","tag-spring","tag-territorial-behavior"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t