Long-Billed Curlew
Numenius americanus
The Long-Billed Curlew is a distinctive bird. In North America only the Whimbrel could be confused with them. With its long beak, it can forage deeper into the sand and mudflats than any of its competitors. They are the largest shorebird with the longest beak in North America. We see them often on on shorelines of lakes and oceans, yet they are perfectly at home foraging in agricultural fields.
When the breeding season arrives, these birds head to the interior of the American western Great Plains and Great Basin states. Short or mixed grasslands satisfies their nesting needs. After leaving the breeding grounds, most birds leave for Mexico and the southern USA states, especially the coastlines. Some birds may be found anywhere on the Pacific coast from the Canadian border to Central America.
The Long-Billed Curlew has two close relatives in Asia and Europe; the Eurasian Curlew and the critically endangered Far Eastern Curlew. Differentiating the sexes in these birds is difficult, though it is believed that the bills of the females are longer, and more decurved at the tip. It’s not unusual in shorebirds for the females of the species to depart from the breeding grounds early, leaving the males to attend the child-rearing duties. Our Long-Billed Curlew is no exception.
These large shorebirds are easy to find in coastal San Diego County. I’ve met many of these birds on the coastlines of South San Diego Bay and its adjacent wetlands. My first meeting with these birds on their breeding grounds was on Antelope Island of Utah’s Great Salt Lake, when I found a probable male bird standing on a large rock in the middle of a grassy field advertising his location to any females within eyesight or earshot.
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) San Diego River flood control channel. San Diego, California USA 2010-01-09. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:08 16:00 |
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Location:
Ocean Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: JCD5883.LongBilledCurlew-2 |
| © 2010 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) San Diego River flood control channel. San Diego, California USA 2010-01-08. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:08 15:59 |
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Location:
Ocean Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1499 |
File Name: Cut_JCD5872.LongBilledCurlew-2 |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Taking off with a crab meal. Tijuana River Estuary. Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California USA 2010-02-11. |
Date Taken: 2010:02:11 13:26 |
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Location:
Border Field |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD6101.LongBilledCurlew-2 |
| © 2010 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Taking off with a crab meal. Tijuana River Estuary. Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California USA 2010-02-11. |
Date Taken: 2010:02:11 13:26 |
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Location:
Border Field |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD6099.LongBilledCurlew-2 |
| © 2010 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-08-05. |
Date Taken: 2009:08:05 12:11 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/22.0, 1/200 |
File Name: JCD5973.LongBilledCurlew-2 |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-08-05. |
Date Taken: 2009:08:05 11:50 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/22.0, 1/200 |
File Name: JCD5951.LongBilledCurlew-2 |
| © 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Capturing and eating a crab at the San Diego River flood control channel. San Diego, California USA 2010-01-08. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:08 15:59 |
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Location:
Ocean Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1499 |
File Name: JCD5872.LongBilledCurlew-2 |
| © 2010 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah USA 2015-05-10. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:10 15:41 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X0804-LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: Bird on breeding grounds at Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah USA 2015-05-10. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:11 8:03 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X1311-LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah USA 2015-05-10. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:11 8:04 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X1333-LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California USA 2011-11-01. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:01 12:43 |
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Location:
W F V Z |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/6 |
File Name: D3X4455-LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California USA 2011-11-01. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:01 12:45 |
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Location:
W F V Z |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/4 |
File Name: D3X4457-LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Tijuana River Mouth in Imperial Beach, California. San Diego County USA 2011-07-07. |
Date Taken: 2011:07:07 8:44 |
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Location:
Tijuana River Mouth |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/6400 |
File Name: JCD0512-LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: The beach at Poe Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-07-07. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:06 19:39 |
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Location:
Poe Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD3794.LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadetree-imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:29 14:17 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD4627.LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadetree-imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: San Diego River flood control channel. San Diego, California 2010-01-08. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:08 16:00 |
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Location:
Robb Field |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: JCD5883.LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-08-05. |
Date Taken: 2009:08:05 11:50 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/22.0, 1/200 |
File Name: JCD5951.LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadetree-imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: Foraging along the bay shore at the Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-08-05. |
Date Taken: 2009:08:05 12:11 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/22.0, 1/200 |
File Name: JCD5973.LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadetree-imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
|
Description: (Numenius americanus) Taking off with a crab meal. Tijuana River Estuary. Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California USA 2010-02-11. |
Date Taken: 2010:02:11 13:26 |
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Location:
Border Field |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD6099.LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, www.shadetree-imaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
|
Description: (Numenius americanus) Taking off with a crab meal. Tijuana River Estuary. Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California USA 2010-02-11. |
Date Taken: 2010:02:11 13:26 |
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Location:
Border Field |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD6101.LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, www.shadetree-imaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: (Numenius americanus) Jousting behaviour at the Tijuana River Estuary. Imperial Beach, San Diego County, California USA 2010-02-18. |
Date Taken: 2010:02:18 11:12 |
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Location:
Malheur, NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200 |
File Name: JCD6697.LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, www.shadetree-imaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: Foraging in the fields by Vendel Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-11-27. |
Date Taken: 2009:11:27 12:30 |
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Location:
Vendel Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1500 |
File Name: JCD8290.LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadetree-imaging |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: Foraging at Cibola NWR, South of Blyth, CA. In Arizona near the Colorado River. |
Date Taken: 2004:04:02 12:47 |
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Location:
Goose Loop |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD_6317LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: Foraging on the bay shore mud flats on Tern survey day at the Saltworks, part of the San Diego National Wildlife Complex. Near Imperial Beach, California. |
Date Taken: 2015:08:05 11:51 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X2850-LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: Tijuana River Mouth in Imperial Beach, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2013:04:04 9:32 |
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Location:
Tijuana River Mouth |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X3415-LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: With Mole Crab near the Tijuana River. Extreme South West San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:09:08 9:21 |
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Location:
Border Field |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/5000 |
File Name: D3X8605-LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: The channel entering Morro Bay is a great place to meet Sea Otters and many birds. San Luis Obisbo County California. |
Date Taken: 2017:09:17 9:02 |
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Location:
Morro Rock |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: LongBilledCurlew_D5X4138-MorroBay |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: The channel entering Morro Bay is a great place to meet Sea Otters and many birds. San Luis Obisbo County California. |
Date Taken: 2017:09:17 8:57 |
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Location:
Morro Rock |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LongBilledCurlew_D5X4061-MorroBay |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:18 6:52 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LongBilledCurlew_D5X6041-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: This curlew picked up from the marsh near where the cranes were foraging. My third day of exploration of Aransas NWR was a memorable one. I boarded the tour boat the "Skimmer" and got schooled by Captian Tommy Moore on a three plus hour cruise of the back-bays and waterways beyond the view of the public from the tour roads on the reserve. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:17 11:43 |
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Location:
Aransas NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: LongBilledCurlew_D503952-BoatRide-Aransas-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: Foraging at the beach at Border Field, south of Imperial Beach, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2015:07:02 10:16 |
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Location:
Border Field |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: D3X1932-LongBilledCurlew |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:18 6:59 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: LongBilledCurlew_D5X6082-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Curlew(Numenius americanus) |
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Description: The channel entering Morro Bay is a great place to meet Sea Otters and many birds. San Juis Obisbo County California. |
Date Taken: 2017:09:17 8:51 |
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Location:
Morro Bay |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LongBilledCurlew_D5X4033-MorroBay |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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