Birds Of Southern California

Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)

The Long-billed Curlew can be found in Orange County, CA at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands and also the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary fairly reliably and year round. The images in this section were taken at both placed during various times of the year. They are easily distinguishable by their long decurved bill. Note the indentation at the tip of the bill as well. The Eurasian species lacks this characteristic. Here's more from Wikipedia: The long-billed curlew is the largest nesting or regularly occurring sandpiper in North America. It is 50–65 cm (20–26 in) long, 62–90 cm (24–35 in) across the wing and weighs 490–950 g (1.08–2.09 lb).[3] Its disproportionally long bill measures 11.3–21.9 cm (4.4–8.6 in), and rivals the bill of the larger-bodied Far Eastern curlew as the longest bill of any shorebird.[4] Adults have a very long bill curved downwards, a long neck and a small head. The neck and underparts are a light cinnamon, while the crown is streaked with brown. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism, the female having a much longer bill than the male. Their breeding habitat is grasslands in west-central North America. The species displays an elaborate courtship dance during breeding season. Fast and looping display flights are also common. A small hollow is lined with various weeds and grasses to serve as the nest. Four eggs are always laid as this is a characteristic of shorebirds. The eggs vary in hue from white to olive. The long-billed curlew is a precocial bird, and the chicks leave the nest soon after hatching. Both parents look after the young. More information can be found at this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-billed_curlew