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  • Stone-curlew

Stone-curlew

Stone-curlew
Stone-curlew
  • Scientific name: Burhinus oedicnemus
  • Bird family: Thick-knees
  • UK conservation status: Amber
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Key information

A strange, rare summer visitor to southern England and East Anglia, the stone-curlew is a crow-sized bird with a large head, long yellow legs and relatively long wings and tail. Active at night, 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. It is listed under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

What they eat:

Invertebrates that are found on the ground.

Measurements:

Length:
40-44cm
Wingspan:
77-85cm
Weight:
430-500g

Population:

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.
UK breeding:
400 pairs

Identifying features:

Stone-curlew

Stone curlew
Feather colour: Black Brown Cream/buff White
Leg colour: Yellow
Beak: Black Yellow Medium length Medium thickness
Natural habitats: Farmland Grassland Heathland

Where and when to see them

The stone-curlew is a bird of dry, open places with bare, stony ground or very short vegetation. Its UK strongholds are in Wiltshire, around Salisbury Plain, and the Brecks, Norfolk. They are also sometimes visible from special viewing areas at our Minsmere reserve on the Suffolk Coast and Winterbourne Downs reserve in Wiltshire. The best place to see them is at Weeting Heath in Norfolk, where the Norfolk Wildlife Trust has established visitor and viewing facilities.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
Stone-curlew distribution map

Stone-curlews arrive in March and depart in October.

  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
  • nov
  • dec

RSPB reserves

  • RSPB Winterbourne Downs

Video

A stone-curlew inspects the forest floor

A stone-curlew inspects the forest floor

Stone-curlew video screenshot

In more depth

Breeding, nesting and migration

Breeding, nesting and migration

Conservation

Conservation

Population trends

Population trends

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