Eurasian whimbrel

The Eurasian whimbrel is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, among the curlews, formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 as Scolopax phaeopus and now placed in the genus Numenius. It is one of the most widely distributed curlews, breeding across much of the subarctic Palearctic and Europe as far south as Scotland, in lowland plains, grasslands and wetlands with low vegetation such as those of Iceland. The bird measures 37 to 47 centimeters in length with a 75 to 90 centimeter wingspan and weighs roughly 270 to 493 grams, and its plumage is mainly greyish brown with a white back and rump in some subspecies, with its most distinctive feature being a long curved bill that shows a kink rather than a smooth curve. It is migratory, wintering on coasts throughout Africa, South Asia and Australasia and appearing as a coastal visitor during migration. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern, though Icelandic populations are declining under development pressure.