A medium-sized curlew with mostly black and white plumage, lacks extensive brown and buff shown by other curlews. Slender, dark, decurved bill and fairly long, blackish-gray legs. Weak eyeline with dark crown and poorly defined stripes on gray-brown face. Feathers on upperparts have dark brown and black centers with broad whitish edges. Underparts mostly white with fine blackish streaking on the neck and upper breast transitioning to larger black spots on the lower breast and upper belly. In flight, white tail, underparts, and underwings. Smaller overall with shorter, more slender bill, spotted sides and breast, and whiter tail with fewer bars than Eurasian Curlew. Underparts too white and spotted for Whimbrel.

Length: 39 (cm) Wingspan: 86 (cm)

Habitat:

Breeds in marshes, bogs, or other damp areas in the taiga. Winters on mudflats or salt marshes near the coast. Migrants found in a variety of grasslands, marshes, or mudflats.

Behavior:

Forages with upright posture. Walks or runs, picking or probing. Often found in mixed flocks.

Feeding:

Mainly feeds on invertebrates such as insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and worms.