Eastern Curlew

The Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) is unmistakable. At 63 cm long, it dwarfs other waders, and its 15–20 cm decurved bill is among the most distinctive structures in avian anatomy — perfectly adapted for extracting ghost crabs and marine worms from deep in tidal mudflats. In flight, the long wings and plaintive, two-syllable call make it one of the few shorebirds identifiable at distance.

Australia is the most important non-breeding destination for Eastern Curlews. Between September and March, hundreds of thousands arrive from breeding grounds in Siberia and northeastern China, settling on tidal mudflats and estuaries along the eastern and northern coasts. Moreton Bay in Queensland, Roebuck Bay in Western Australia, and the intertidal flats of the Clarence and Hunter rivers in New South Wales historically hosted the highest concentrations. Western Port Bay in Victoria remains an important southeastern refuge.

The numbers are falling catastrophically. The global population has declined by more than 80% since the 1980s — from around 150,000 birds to fewer than 38,000 today. The primary cause is the destruction and degradation of Yellow Sea tidal flats on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, where curlews and dozens of other shorebird species refuel during their twice-yearly migration. Without adequate stopover habitat, birds arrive in Australia underweight and unable to sustain breeding condition.

This is one of the most urgent conservation crises in Australian wildlife. Eastern Curlew was listed as Critically Endangered under Australia's EPBC Act in 2016. International advocacy to protect Yellow Sea habitat — across China, North Korea, and South Korea — is ongoing. In Australia, the species benefits from shorebird-friendly management of estuaries and protection from disturbance at roost sites.

For birders, the Eastern Curlew is an entirely achievable target at the right estuary between September and March. Large roosting flocks gather at predictable high-tide sites, allowing close observation of a genuinely magnificent bird.