Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

We find Whimbrels in the Americas and in Eurasia. The American birds are more buff or tan colored than their grayer cousins in Eurasia. In the Western Hemisphere these birds nest in Alaska, North Western Canada and on the Western edges of Hudson Bay, and they spend winters on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North and South America.

Most shorebirds have a well-defined alternate (breeding) plumage and a basic (non-breeding) plumage. Birds in the curlew genus (Numenius), like the Whimbrel, have only subtle differences between seasons.

In southern California, where I’ve met most of these birds, they are sometimes confused with their cousins, the Long-Billed Curlew. A closer examination will reveal that Whimbrels are slightly smaller, and the line through the eye is darker and better defined. There are also two dark stripes over the crown of the Whimbrel that the Long-Billed Curlew lacks.

Today’s science recognises four subspecies of Whimbrel:

N. p. phaeopus breeds from Iceland to Siberia, and spends winters along the coasts of Africa and the Indian Ocean.
N. p. alboaxillaris breeds in Russia near the Caspian Sea, and spends winters on the coasts of the Indian Ocean.
N. p. variegatus breeds in northeastern Siberia, and spends winters in Melanesia, Micronesia, and Australia.
N. p. hudsonicus breeds from Alaska to northern Canada, and spends winters along the coasts of North and South America.

Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus — **Whimbrel**
*(Numenius phaeopus)*

**Description:**
(Numenius phaeopus) Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in Camarillo, California USA 2011-11-01.
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**Date Taken:** 2011:11:01 12:16

**Location:**

W F V Z
Camarillo, California
United States
124.68 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/4

**File Name:** D3X4432-Whimbrel

© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging

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Pin It — **Whimbrel**
*(Numenius phaeopus)*

**Description:**
(Numenius phaeopus) Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in Camarillo, California USA 2011-11-01.
Read More

**Date Taken:** 2011:11:01 12:16

**Location:**

W F V Z
Camarillo, California
United States
124.68 ft above sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/4

**File Name:** D3X4432-Whimbrel

© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging

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Long-Billed Curlew - Numenius americanus — **Long-Billed Curlew**
*(Numenius phaeopus)*

**Description:**
Tijuana River Mouth in Imperial Beach, California. San Diego County.
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**Date Taken:** 2013:04:04 9:32

**Location:**

Tijuana River Mouth
Imperial Beach, California
United States
0.00 ft below sea level

**Camera Information:**
NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/640

**File Name:** D3X3415-LongBilledCurlew

© 2013 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com

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