What Does The Curlew Eat?

The Curlew belongs to the wading or long-legged birds. It is distinguished by its long beak, long legs, and feathers colored brown and pale grey. In this article, we will mention the most important things related to the food of the Curlew, noting that the Curlew is a bird that cannot be bred. In homes, it is different from the curlew parrot or the so-called cockatiel bird , which is known as a domestic ornamental bird.

The curlew is a carnivore, as its adult feeds mainly on insects, such as earthworms, spiders, and larvae, in addition to a type of insect called the flycatcher. The curlew also feeds on some marine creatures, such as: Oysters, crabs, shrimp, shrimp, and some types of small fish. It is also worth noting that some types of curlew, such as the bush curlew or the so-called thick-knee curlew, feed on small vertebrates, such as; Frogs, snakes, lizards, small mammals, and even small birds, in addition to some types of mollusks and crustaceans. Although the curlew is primarily a carnivore, it may feed on some types of berries and seeds.

What do curlew chicks eat?

Curlew chicks begin their lives by eating caterpillars and earthworms, and after they are able to leave the nest and hunt prey themselves, they add spiders and insects that walk on the ground to their diet, and with time their options increase to hunt many other insects and reptiles, until they reach adulthood and feed exactly like their parents.

How does the curlew get its food?

Although the diet of the Curlew species is very similar, their preferred food and the methods of obtaining their food may differ depending on their sex, species, and the length of their beaks. Female Curlews, for example, have beaks that are slightly longer than those of their males, and this is what makes them tend to hunt for their food. In different and deeper areas, as for the long-beaked curlew, which has a beak approximately 20 cm long, it prefers insects and worms found deep in the soil, and marine invertebrates, such as; Shrimp and crab, in addition to marine crustaceans that live in the depths of bodies of water, due to its long beak, which helps it catch them.

Curlews live in a variety of environments; In the warm months of the year, they prefer to stay in grasslands, swamps, desert lands, and highlands, while in the winter, they move to warmer areas of agricultural lands, salt marshes, in addition to the mud flats that were formed as a result of the tides, to search for their food from insects. Subterranean worms and crabs.

What are the predators of the curlew?

Tuan birds and their chicks are exposed to some predators that contribute to their threat of extinction, such as: Foxes, hawks, large snakes, cats, weasels, and others. Foxes also feed on curlew eggs, which they place in a nest on the ground, and this contributes to reducing their reproduction.