The RSPB: Stone-curlew

Conservation status: Amber

A strange, rare summer visitor to southern England, the stone-curlew is a crow-sized bird with a large head, long yellow legs and relatively long wings and tail. Active at night, and its large yellow eyes enable it to locate food when it is dark. It is not related to curlews and gets its name from its curlew-like call.

Overview

Latin name

Burhinus oedicnemus

Family

Stone-curlews (Burhinidae)

Where to see them

It is a bird of dry, open places with bare, stony ground or very short vegetation. Its UK strongolds are in Wiltshire, around Salisbury Plain, and in Breckland, Norfolk. The best place to see them is at Weeting Heath in Norfolk, where the Norfolk Wildlife Trust has established visitor and viewing facilities.

When to see them

It arrives in March and departs in August and September.

What they eat

Worms and insects

Population

Europe	UK breeding*	UK wintering*	UK passage*
-	347 pairs	-	-

* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.